Dogging: A Love Story
In the north-east of England, an ensemble of characters united by amorous misadventure search for love in all the wrong places.
Dan is a university graduate who, having so far failed to secure work as a journalist, sleeps on the sofa of his cousin’s plush city centre flat. Thinking he may have found something worth researching, he investigates the phenomenon of dogging (sex in cars) via the internet.
While browsing the chat rooms he makes the acquaintance of ‘HORNY GEORDIE LASS’ and finds himself pretending to be the dogging expert that he clearly is not.
His career-minded girlfriend, Tanya, works in tele-sales and has her sights set on a more senior position, a target she is willing to reach by any means necessary. Having been with Dan since university but slowly drifting away ever since, she is tired of what she considers his lack of ambition, scoffing at his “internet research”.
Always one to remind Dan of his unemployed status, it is one such slur during an argument that provokes the defensive Dan to reveal exactly what he has been up to.
Rob is Dan’s bullish cousin, an overconfident estate agent who boasts of dogging experience and, like Tanya, takes great pleasure in ridiculing the internet approach to journalism. Convinced that Dan needs to ditch Tanya and start living, he wastes no time in suggesting he experience the dogging scene for himself.
Rob’s current partner, Sarah, in her forties and single after several years of unhappy marriage also enjoys carefree, al fresco sex; a cause for suspicion in Dan’s eyes.
Across town and living in suburban reclusion with her over-protective father, Laura is new to the city and yet to make any serious friends, living a more exciting life via internet chat rooms as ‘HORNY GEORDIE LASS’. A chance encounter with Dan in person does nothing to reveal that they are talking regularly online.
She is meanwhile pursued by an equally lonesome soul in Jim, a street-smart, scallywag gang of one with a big heart for anyone willing to talk to him. Charismatically persistent, he thinks nothing of haplessly approaching girls for a phone number and maybe a kiss or a cuddle.
While these characters’ lives collide, a mysterious deviant of the dogging fraternity who likes to videotape peoples’ sessions develops an unhealthy interest in Laura after seeing her walk through a car park while he awaits some action.
Dogging: A Love Story is a quietly comic take on sex, danger, jealousy and 21st century romance in the great dark outdoors.
Starring: Luke Treadaway
Dogging: A Love Story is released 26th December.