“Tip Toe,” a new drama by Russell T Davies, premiered Friday on Starz, offering a poignant exploration of homophobia and its impact on a Manchester community. The five-episode series opens with a stark image: Leo Struther, a gay bar owner, is found dead, hanging from a streetlight outside his home. The narrative then rewinds 10 days to reveal the events leading up to this tragedy.
Set in the city’s Canal Street, a historic hub for the LGBTQ+ community, the series introduces viewers to Leo (played by Alan Cumming), his neighbor Clive Goss (David Morrissey), and the Goss family. Clive is an unemployed electrician, his wife Marie (Pooky Quesnel) harbors resentment toward him, and their sons include George (Jackson Connor), a closeted gay teenager, and Saul (Joseph Evans), a 25-year-old who embraces his identity openly while supporting himself through OnlyFans. Leo and the Goss family have maintained a distant but cordial relationship for years, which soon becomes intertwined with escalating consequences.
An act of neighborly goodwill—or naivety—sets much of the story in motion when Clive copies Leo’s house key and hides it in a lockbox outside his home. This small gesture leads to significant developments as Leo employs Clive at his bar, the Spit and Polish, where a diverse group of employees and patrons find a sense of community and safety. Among them is Zee (Iz Hesketh), a trans woman hiding at the bar due to fears about her living situation, and Melba (Paul Rhys), a former drag performer who harbors unrequited feelings for Leo.
As the plot unfolds, tensions rise amid a backdrop of social media misinformation and conspiracy theories. Clive, in particular, is portrayed as a consumer of false narratives about AIDS and COVID-19, exacerbating his fears and prejudices. The series portrays this climate of distrust as a significant factor in the unraveling events.
Directed by Peter Hoar, “Tip Toe” juxtaposes hope and despair through its carefully crafted dialogue and nuanced performances. While the story follows a tragic trajectory, it also captures moments of tenderness and resilience within the community. Davies’ writing spotlights broader societal issues while grounding the characters’ experiences in authenticity.
Davies, known for his landmark work depicting LGBTQ+ lives—including “Queer as Folk,” set in the same Manchester neighborhood—returns with a series deeply informed by the current resurgence of anti-gay hostility. The show confronts a grim reality reflected in the words of Melba, who likens the current wave of violence and discrimination to a “storm” and a “tsunami.” He observes a stark change since earlier times, lamenting that the progress of past decades has been met with renewed backlash: “They let us all come out, so now we’re standing in the open ready for them to shoot us down.”
“Tip Toe” serves as both a cautionary tale and a testament to the ongoing struggles faced by LGBTQ+ individuals amid rising homophobia, capturing the fraught balance between visibility and vulnerability in today’s social landscape.