Four Have A Jolly Good Time

Aim: In post-war Britain four strange children set off on an adventure across the countryside however it’s not as straightforward as they believe

Set in late 1940s Post-war Britain, Four Have a Jolly Good Time follows the surrealist journey of four strange children as they set off on an adventure across the idyllic British countryside in search of a secret hideaway. Dick, Roger, Sarah, and the youngest Fran, are trying to make the most of their last days of the summer holidays but, not all is what it seems as they get further and further from home. During the adventure, their carefree reality is brought into question through an encounter with a young black child forcing them to reconsider their existence.

Four Have a Jolly Good Time takes inspiration from the aesthetics and archetypes presented in the works of renowned British children’s author Enid Blyton (Famous Five, Secret Seven) to critique colonial British attitude and the sinister idyll of white middle-class sentiment.

The film will utilise surrealist elements such as the children being played by adults, strange prosthetic faces, and a golliwog (black face doll) with an ever-changing face. The youngest character's ragged Golliwog (blackface doll) is a vital comment in the creation of the film’s strange and poetic storytelling. 

As the film is set in the late 1940s a huge consideration will be taken to bring the audience into the period setting. This will come mostly through the design of the children’s costumes, production design, make-up, and the delivery of the performances from the actors. 

Much of the world of the film will come from the environment and locations. The film will be shot almost entirely outside across the beautiful and varied Dorset countryside.  It provides an exciting opportunity to explore the countryside through a new lens with a unique perspective, the film crew will discover the intricacies of the scenery alongside the characters. 

Four Have a Jolly Good Time is a film that provides an interesting often overlooked black British perspective unseen in many of the stories of the time. Its subversion of Enid Blyton's narratives is important because her only representation of black people are as racist and dehumanising caricatures. The prominence of the Golliwog (blackface doll) explores questions about the dehumanising effects of blackface, minstrelsy, and the historic normalisation of bigotry.

 Although the script from writer/director Joseph subverts classical British storytelling, it attempts to present the characters with understanding as the audience is brought into a day in their strange lives. Its surrealist presentation implores the audience to reflect on national identity and persevering British attitudes around colonial history. 

We cannot make the film without you! By donating you will make a fundamental difference to the making of the film. Every donation ensures we can achieve our vision and make the film as strong as possible. Funds will be used for professional actors, period costumes, prosthetics, and securing locations.  

We understand that not everyone can donate to this project however every SHARE, FOLLOW, and COMMENT helps. You can find us on INSTAGRAM  to stay up to date with what’s happening behind the scenes and all the amazing hard work of the talented crew. If you'd like to be on our mailing list please email [email protected] to be added to the list for updates.

We always will be grateful for your help.

You might wonder, then, exactly where my money is going. To provide you with a general idea of our expenses and the allocation of funds to each department, we have created a convenient pie chart. These percentages will guarantee that every penny is used prudently during the production process.

Now let's get to know the individuals behind this project!

Hi, I’m Joseph Bowley writer/director of Four Have a Jolly Good Time. 

From a young age, I have found the idyllic adventure stories of British author Enid Blyton to present an unintentionally sinister image of British life - as a black/mixed race person I was unsure how I fit into this depiction of Britain unburdened by its past. 

Blyton’s stories perpetuate a white middle-class attitude that still resonates today as Blyton only depicted black people as racist or dehumanising caricatures. I hope that this film can provide a unique perspective to provoke reflection around ideas of national identity, colonial history, and question the media we consumed as children.

As a director I want to present our surreal story with subtly and care, focusing on building atmosphere and bringing the audience into the strange world of the characters.

Hi, my name is Aashish Subedi, I have always been fascinated by films and filmmakers. As an AUB producer, I have facilitated many filmmakers to realise their ideas into a film. My collaboration in this project will contribute an in-depth understanding of the needs of different specialisms to execute the director’s vision. The satisfaction of seeing a film develop from a mere idea on paper to the screen is triumphant and is something I would want to repeat for the rest of my career.

Four Have a Jolly Good Time is a great example of an idea that aims to play on the depictions of race in the history of British media and could bring the subject to light from a different perspective. Observing the current divisions in world politics, I think this film needs to be made as this project aims to encourage the audiences to pose questions on all the challenging aspects of the history of British, as well as the World media.

Hi, my name is Bee and I'm the co-producer of Four Have a Jolly Good Time. I was drawn to this film because of its elements of unease, bringing up the idea that many people don’t want to think about, and Joe's passion for the story he is telling. I aim to enhance Joe’s vision by finding the best cast, locations, and crew to make this film possible. I am primarily looking forward to the challenge of the subject matter, which I will work hard to ensure is respected at all times throughout the production, and maintaining a safe and welcoming filming environment.

My fascination with capturing life’s purest essence through imagery began at an early age, when I found myself thinking in images, and seeing the world through a lens. This innate passion for photography led me to explore the boundless possibilities of cinematography. Through my lens, I aim to tell stories that resonate with the human spirit. I’m driven by the desire to present life in its most authentic and visually compelling form. 

Whether it’s through the play of light and shadow or the dynamic interplay of colors, I’m dedicated to creating visuals that stir emotions and ignite the imagination. The opportunity to encapsulate the exquisite beauty of nature and humanity’s intricate connection to it through adventure ignited my passion for this project.

Hi, my name is Hugo Mann and I am the gaffer for Four have a jolly good time.

Visual storytelling is something that I have been particularly interested in since joining AUB and specialising in cinematography.  As a Gaffer you work to manipulate light and shadow, conveying emotion and atmosphere through the images you paint on screen. 

I was instantly captivated by the visual possibilities of the script.  With beautiful English landscapes right on our doorstep, the film offered a great opportunity to challenge myself by working with natural lighting in an array of stunning countryside locations. Alongside this, is the twist on a classic Enid Blighton. story and sense of adventure contrasted with the sinister undertones of the script was unlike anything I had read before and again offered a great opportunity to explore the darker side of classic children’s literature.

Hi! My name is Anya Reynolds, and I am the lead production designer for this film. I have always had a passion for film but only found a way to channel it into production design once I joined AUB. One thing I particularly enjoy about this specialism is the creative freedom and challenges. 

I chose to work on ‘Four Have a Jolly Good Time’ because of its unique narrative and I was excited by the challenge of it being set in the 1940s as I've always wanted to work on a period film. I’m excited to see this come to fruition, I know with our crew and your support we can make this film come to life.

We're Honey and Derin, final year Performance Design and Film Costume students and the costume designers for this film. We are thrilled to be a part of this project where costume tells a story perhaps above any visual element. The costuming in this film is subversive and provocative. 

We were drawn to this film when we saw the idea of dressing adult actors as children from the 1940s, as this is such an interesting exercise of playing with proportion and styling. We are excited to take on this challenge as costume students and bring Joe's vision to life. We think this film should be made because it's important to reflect on our childhood nostalgia without the rose-tinted glasses.

Hi, I’m Charlie, the Makeup designer for ‘Four Have a Jolly Good Time’. I’m a level 6 Makeup Artist and I specialise in prosthetics application and design for film and television. I’ve always been fascinated with the ability to transform actors into different people and creatures, creating a new identity for each actor using makeup and prosthetics. 

As soon as I heard about the characters of four strange-looking children set in the 1940’s I knew I wanted to be a part of bringing the characters to life and into their own identities to tell Joe’s story. 

Im excited to see the film and characters develop along with my designs and creations in the production as well as working with a dedicated team on the film.

Hello, I'm Xavier, and I will be working on editing the graduation film 'Four Have a Jolly Good Time.' I was drawn to this project because of its captivating storytelling set in the 1940s. What excites me the most is the wide creative freedom it offers, allowing me to explore various editing approaches for this film. I can't wait to dive in and bring this unique vision to life!

BIG THANK YOU!! We appreciate you taking the time to read everything, and on behalf of all of us, we appreciate you reaching the bottom of the page. We truly cherish your help in making this production possible. Stay tuned for more updates!

Crew Photos by: Ella Cuchet, 

Instagram: @picturebyella