Jamie Winstone
Bringing together a new crop of young British talent, including Jamie Winstone, yes it's Ray's daughter, Donkey Punch follows seven young adults who meet at a nightclub in a Mediterranean resort and decide to continue partying aboard a luxury yacht in the middle of the ocean. But when one of them dies in a freak accident the others argue about what to do, leading to a ruthless fight for survival.
Nichola Burley, Sian Breckin and Jamie take time out to talk about their characters.
How did you get involved in the film?
Jaime Winstone (Kim): We all got involved in the original castings way, way back. It was a pretty intense casting procedure, they cast for about 2 months, heavily workshopping everybody. I got involved through a lovely man called Des Hamilton, who’s an amazing casting director who was scouting for raw talent.
Nichola Burley (Tammi): I remember I got the script and was given the option of auditioning for any one of the three characters, I didn’t know too much about it. As soon as I saw Des he said 'You’re Tammi, and this is only your part to lose now.' This kind of gave me real confidence, and I said 'Have you seen Jaime?' He said 'Can she do a northern accent?' I said 'No, she really can!' because we’d just worked together on Gold plated. And they never let the two of us do auditions together!
JW: It was pretty amazing how intense it really was and how much they depended on getting the characters right. I think this is really reflected in the film because the relationship between us all, the girls and the boys is really believable and you really feel for them.
Did you know what a donkey punch was?
Sian Breckin (Lisa): I didn’t know what a donkey punch was.
JW: I didn’t either. I’d heard it but I didn’t know what it actually was. It’s one of those sexual myths you hear.
SB: I didn’t even know that! How unique is that?
JW: (Laughs)
SB: No I didn’t! Seriously! Afterwards I went on the Internet and I was Alright, Donkey Punch, up came all these horrendous things and I was on my mum’s computer. I thought 'Bloody hell, I hope she doesn’t come in and I’ve got all this donkey punch stuff up.'
JW: it’s a whole new world out there.
SB: It is though isn’t it? And it’s something I never knew anything about, its frightening there’s that kind of thing on the internet.
NB: To be fair I thought it was something to do with a donkey at first.
JW: That’s what my dad said, 'There’s not a donkey in it is there?'
NB: I was like 'What, does a Donkey Kick somebody? But why’s it called a donkey Punch instead of a donkey kick?' So then when I read it I was like...
JW: Leeds.
(All laugh)
NB: Shut up! So I kept reading it and then I got to that part and I was like that’s a Donkey punch? How the heck can you carry on the rest of a film after you’ve given someone a donkey punch? How does it go from there, what can possibly be worse?
Were you worried about the script?
JW: A lot of people didn’t want to touch the script originally because they were all saying 'This is outrageous! You can’t make a film like this!' But you actually can make a film like this, it’s probably just never been done.
SB: This is like a whole male bravado world. The point is the whole consequence of this joke, this bravado.
JW: Well they’re myths, not facts.
NB: But then you get people who are like Julian (Josh’s character) and the guy who David Bloom met at a party who were like 'yeah, I’ve done it, I really have!' and everyone else is going 'What?' These characters are based on real people that he’s spoken to about this thing and their reactions to it. They just decided to put all these characters into the film and see what happened.
JW: That’s the beauty of it, the characters aren’t gimps, they’re not kinky sexual characters, they’re young enthusiastic adults. They happen to come across some drugs, they’re not hardcore, not addicts, they’re people having a bit of fun. It’s they way of these characters that you believe this story and their naivite.
When the (Slaps fist into palm) does happen, it makes you go Ow! This is real, this is a huge mistake, it shows you how easily this can come across.
SB: I had to get my head round Who does this? and how as women does this happen? I was talking to Olly and he said that the only point where Lisa’s not in control is right at the last second. I think that was really important for that scene.
JW: Definitely.
SB: She is very much in control, very much enjoying herself, and then I had to get my head round How does one do a donkey punch?
Describe your characters.
SB: Lisa’s a very confident, sexually aware young person who’s very care free, she acts like she’s going to live forever. She doesn’t have any adult sense of responsibility yet, she just a young person.
What I wanted to achieve is that she’s just a young person, nothing ridiculous, this isn’t something she’d do all the time, this is just her in a fantasy situation.
JW: Kim’s her best friend, and they’re both young, very confidant young women. Kim’s character is a club promoter, she’s used to talking to people and is very confident with herself.
Her journey is she’s up for it, she’s game, she’s on holiday and is used to having fun. Her arc shows how paranoia can really strip you of your luxuries and every ounce of confidence.
Donkey Punch is released on DVD on 10th November
Tagged in Jaime Winstone