A Powerful New Series Tackles Contemporary Hate Crimes
A stark new British drama, titled Tip Toe, is resonating deeply due to its raw portrayal of the alarming surge in anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes across the UK since 2019. The series opens in the immediate, harrowing aftermath of violence, with its initial moments depicting four individuals reeling in shock and agony on the desolate streets of Manchester in the early morning. Their cries and sobs pierce the quiet, underscoring the profound impact of the depicted event.
Set in 2026, Tip Toe strategically unwinds the ten days leading up to this critical incident. At its core, the narrative explores a bitter feud between two neighbors: Leo, a flamboyant gay bar owner portrayed by Alan Cumming, and Clive, a quietly menacing, unemployed electrician played by David Morrissey.
A Groundbreaking Voice in Queer Television
Created by the acclaimed Welsh screenwriter Russell T. Davies, known for his significant contributions to the revival of Doctor Who, Tip Toe marks another significant entry in his influential body of work focused on queer British television. His previous celebrated series include the 90s drama Queer as Folk, the dystopian science fiction series Years and Years, and It’s a Sin, which powerfully depicted the AIDS epidemic in 1980s London.
However, Tip Toe represents a fresh direction for Davies. This series is steeped in a palpable sense of fury and fear, not directed at past failures or future uncertainties, but at the present realities. While occasionally less subtle, with characters delivering didactic monologues on topics like political figures or trans rights—a creative choice to imbue characters with specific viewpoints—the five-episode series arrives with a compelling urgency.
Exploring the Shifting Landscape of Equality
Tip Toe poses critical questions about the potential regression of equality for LGBTQIA+ individuals and other minority groups. Leo, at 59 years old, expresses a weariness with the ongoing struggle. “Now, I don’t have to care as much,” he confides to his spirited friend Melba over drinks. “I have marched. Now it’s someone else’s turn.”
Leo’s life is characterized by a vibrant social circle, intimacy, and the operation of his bar, “Spit and Polish,” situated on Manchester’s Canal Street. This area was famously immortalized in Queer as Folk as a vital LGBTQIA+ sanctuary. Yet, the prevailing social climate is evidently shifting, as Melba keenly observes. “If there’s a war, you’re on the frontline, my darling. You have trans bar staff – that’s the battleground right there,” she warns.
Compelling Performances Drive the Narrative
The series benefits from a strong ensemble cast, with Paul Rhys delivering a particularly captivating performance as Melba, whose pronouncements are fueled by alcohol and conviction. Alan Cumming and David Morrissey effectively embody Leo and Clive as characters fundamentally out of step with one another, each struggling to comprehend the other’s perspective.
Cumming channels his inherent camp charisma to portray Leo as brash, bold, and defiant. Yet, he skillfully allows cracks in this persona to appear, hinting at underlying vulnerabilities he chooses to overlook in favor of a simpler, more enjoyable gay life. Morrissey, in contrast, conveys Clive’s emotions with remarkable subtlety, suggesting a depth of feeling potentially hidden even from himself. His performance emanates an icy aggression, with powerful undercurrents simmering beneath a thin veneer that could shatter with the slightest provocation from Leo.
The most unsettling aspect of Tip Toe may be its unsettling familiarity, reflecting anxieties that many viewers might recognize from their own experiences. The series is currently available for streaming on Binge.
