Alan Cumming And David Morrissey Star In New LGBTQ Drama, Tip Toe

A new Russell T Davies series is always a notable affair- and the Doctor Who and It’s A Sin writer’s latest, Tip Toe, is no exception. The upcoming five-part drama stars both Alan Cumming and David Morrissey, and will have the usual Davies ingredients of a gripping story and strong social commentary. It’s set in Manchester, and follows a feud that erupts between a bar owner and his neighbour. Here’s what we know so far:

What is Tip Toe about?

Tip Toe centres on two neighbours, Leo (Cumming) and Clive (Morrissey), who have lived next to each other in Manchester for nearly 15 years. Leo is the owner of the bar “Spit and Polish” in Manchester’s Gay Village, while Clive is a more reserved construction worker with a family of his own. But tensions between them begin to arise when Leo hires Clive, who’s struggling to get work, in order to help fix some things in his bar. Clive has underlying prejudices of homophobia and transphobia, which conflict with Leo, who is gay and supportive of the LGBTQ community, and this conflict comes to a head.

The series has been described as a “suburban thriller” and, like much of Davies’ work, is unafraid of confronting pressing social issues. Clive is suddenly faced with confronting his views and ideas when Leo strikes up a friendship with one of Clive’s sons, who has kept his own sexual orientation quiet. 

The writer has described his new show as his “angriest, darkest and funniest” show yet, as well as being “a reaction to where politics is headed.” Tip Toe also has much of the same team that worked on Davies’ It’s A Sin, the hugely successful AIDS drama from a few years ago, so you can expect much of the same high-quality, wryly funny writing that made it such a hit.

Is there a trailer, and who else stars?

There’s yet to be a full trailer released by Channel 4, but we do have a few first-look images showcasing the central characters and the Manchester setting. Alongside Cumming and Morrissey, the series features a strong supporting cast including Pooky Quesnel, Denise Welch and Elizabeth Berrington, inhabiting the surrounding Manchester community.

When does it release?

Tip Toe is currently in production and set to release later this year. We will keep you posted on all the latest updates.