Sex and the capital city
Skins writer Jess Brittain’s new show about the hedonistic lives of a group of university students could set young cast – including Synnove Karlsen and Sorcha Groundsell – on path to stardom
AULD CLIQUEY MEET THE SCOTS IN RACY DRAMA SET IN EDINBURGH
HER last show launched the careers of some of the hottest young talent in Hollywood – including an Oscar nominee. And Skins writer Jess Brittain believes the youthful cast of her new drama Clique can go as far as stars such as Dev Patel and Nicholas Hoult. The edgy series follows women at Edinburgh University as they get embroiled in a secret group who take drugs and go to sex parties. Led by Glasgow-born debutant Synnove Karlsen, 20, the drama features the most exciting ensemble of young British talent since Skins, which launched the career of Patel – who was Oscar-nominated for Lion – as well as X-Men and Mad Max’s Hoult and blockbuster movie stars Jack O’Connell and Kaya Scodelario. Synnove and Sorcha Groundsell, 19, from the Isle of Lewis, are delighted to be following in the footsteps of such luminaries and writer Jess says the sky’s the limit for the new cast.
She said: “It’s amazing. It was mad watching Dev at the Oscars.
“I remember him as a 15-year-old and it feels completely bizarre. You never really know which ones are going to go all the way but when you have a big gang of really talented kids, it’s great to see them be so successful.
“For Clique, we have been really lucky with casting. Synnove did such a beautiful job with what is a really hard part. A lot was asked of her and she has mega potential.”
Jess, 28, added: “Good things happen when you get a group of people together who are talented and ambitious. I’d expect lots of them to be really successful.”
Clique follows university freshers Holly (Synnove) and Georgia (Irish actress Aisling Franciosi) as their childhood friendship is tested. They encounter an alluring group of successful senior students, tied into a charismatic lecturer, played by Sherlock’s Louise Brealey.
Rachel Hurd-Wood, Sophia Brown, Ella-Rae Smith and Emma Appleton play the clique queens.
It’s a world of sex, drugs and parties full of gorgeous young people wearing designer gear. There’s also betrayal, danger and secrets.
Sorcha plays Elizabeth, who lives next to Holly in the halls of residence. She relished the chance to work with Jess, given the track record of the Skins alumni.
Sorcha said: “That’s an incredible club to be part of. It’s setting the bar high. This is a thrilling experience and whatever comes from it will be exciting and wonderful.”
Jess drew on her own experiences at university in Leeds but switched events to Edinburgh for the show because she loved the city as a child.
She said: “I always thought Edinburgh was a kind of magical place and when you are older you start to see that it is a complicated place. There is a lot going on under the tourist veneer of things and it is full of people who are very interesting.
“It is a TV show and we want it to be aspirational and revel in the gloss and be unashamed about that.
“I hope things will resonate. Even if you don’t go to high-end bars, you might recognise the friendship, the betrayal, the fish out of water. I just hope it’s a lot of fun.” ● Clique begins on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer on Sunday.