diff --git a/controller/controller_interface.py b/controller/controller_interface.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b18f14c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/controller/controller_interface.py
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+"""Module providing functions to interact with the drunc controller."""
+
+from django.conf import settings
+from drunc.controller.controller_driver import ControllerDriver
+from drunc.utils.shell_utils import create_dummy_token_from_uname
+from druncschema.request_response_pb2 import Description
+
+
+def get_controller_driver() -> ControllerDriver:
+    """Get a ControllerDriver instance."""
+    token = create_dummy_token_from_uname()
+    return ControllerDriver(settings.ROOT_CONTROLLER_URL, token=token, aio_channel=True)
+
+
+def get_controller_status() -> Description:
+    """Get the controller status."""
+    return get_controller_driver().get_status()
diff --git a/drunc_ui/settings/settings.py b/drunc_ui/settings/settings.py
index 919f8e4..fce7fb2 100644
--- a/drunc_ui/settings/settings.py
+++ b/drunc_ui/settings/settings.py
@@ -147,6 +147,7 @@
 DJANGO_TABLES2_TEMPLATE = "django_tables2/bootstrap5.html"
 
 PROCESS_MANAGER_URL = os.getenv("PROCESS_MANAGER_URL", "localhost:10054")
+ROOT_CONTROLLER_URL = os.getenv("ROOT_CONTROLLER_URL", "localhost:3333")
 
 INSTALLED_APPS += ["crispy_forms", "crispy_bootstrap5"]
 CRISPY_ALLOWED_TEMPLATE_PACKS = "bootstrap5"
diff --git a/scripts/talk_to_controller.py b/scripts/talk_to_controller.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a330de3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/talk_to_controller.py
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+"""Example script used to check communication with the controller.
+
+This is intended to be run within docker from the `app` service, i.e.:
+
+```
+docker compose exec app python scripts/talk_to_controller.py
+```
+
+and provides a basic proof of principle of communicating with the controller via
+gRPC.
+"""
+
+from drunc.controller.controller_driver import ControllerDriver
+from drunc.utils.shell_utils import create_dummy_token_from_uname
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    token = create_dummy_token_from_uname()
+    controller = ControllerDriver("drunc:3333", token=token, aio_channel=True)
+    val = controller.get_status()
+    print(val)
diff --git a/tests/controller/test_controller_interface.py b/tests/controller/test_controller_interface.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8b5d713
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/controller/test_controller_interface.py
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+def test_get_controller_status(mocker):
+    """Test the _boot_process function."""
+    from controller.controller_interface import get_controller_status
+
+    mock = mocker.patch("controller.controller_interface.get_controller_driver")
+    get_controller_status()
+    mock.assert_called_once()