“It’s not a who dunnit, it’s a why dunnit.” : Russell T Davies, Alan Cumming and David Morrissey share the highs and lows behind their newest drama Tip Toe
The It's a Sin writer is back with another hit
Open up an A-Z of British Trailblazers and under “I” for “icon” you’d find Russell T Davies. The writer has penned the heartbreaking and record breaking moments from hit series like It’s a Sin, Doctor Who, and Queer as Folk just to name a few. His latest drama heading to Channel 4 is another ruthlessly brilliant, forensic examination into queer lives in the modern day Manchester.
Tip Toe stars Alan Cumming as Leo, owner of a queer bar in Manchester and David Morrissey his long-standing neighbor Clive, who quickly become embroiled in a feud. Davies said the show that reveals a sliding back of gay rights and showcases how the terrors of the online world have become mainstream. Imagine an Adolescence but for queer culture instead of incel culture.
The show spotlights the LGBTQIA+ experience in Manchester but as Davies himself has highlighted, whilst the show comes from a “queer lens” it's ultimately about “the war between two neighbors and the radicalization of society.”
Ahead of the show’s release on 31st May, we sat down with Russel T Davies, Alan Cumming, and David Morrissey over a couple of bourbon biscuits and a cuppa to chat about balancing the joys of working on the show with the emotional and mental toll its creation took.
SL: One of the things you [Russell] have done brilliantly across all your shows is giving permission for your characters to be messy. Even though we’re seeing a lot more queer characters in mainstream shows, they’re often whittled down to become almost straight-presenting. I love that Tip Toe shows the messiness and the variety of queer stories. What was it like creating that?
Russell T Davies: That’s exactly how I wanted it to come across; there’s almost an uncomfortable gayness at times and I wanted characters like Benny from the Bewery who is so sexualised that it makes [Morrisseys character] wince. Talking about all sorts of difference sexual encounters – I think that’s the first time “ropes” has ever been broadcast!
SL: Thank you so much for that by the way
Russell [laughing]: I’m really glad you like that. So I’m very keen on getting that messy reality across – like when Leo over sexualises things and goes a little bit too far with his stories, it’s much more interesting
SL: It was really interesting the way Tip Toe shows the difference between how much freer and more open people are when they’re in a dedicated, queer space versus how they are in a more straight place. Like how funny and outrageous Leo is in his club, versus how much more reserved he is interacting with Clive. And then on the other side of that situation, when you’ve got Clive [Morrissey] coming into Leo’s queer club [Spit & Polish] how visibly uncomfortable he is. What was that dynamic like to explore?
David Morrissey: It’s different times and different attitudes for Clive. You know, he gets a glimpse of Leo’s life being his neighbour, but he only knows him in that context. It’s funny at the club, seeing the dynamic of Leo becoming Clive’s boss, and Clive having to beg for some work. But for me, what’s interesting is when Clive goes into the club of his own volition, you see there’s a curiosity there, and a small desire for him to understand Leo’s world. And that’s a really lovely moment, and adds to the dynamic between the two
Alan Cumming: It was really amazing, I think the writing is so obviously brilliant, but also the nuance of this subject matter. It makes people feel so much, and helps to understand and empahthise with people - about everybody - to understand how we both arrive at things
I was on board from after the first five seconds into the Zoom meeting. Everything about it was more and better and certainly harder and more demanding and more challenging. It wasn’t “a joy” to do, but it was I felt like we were doing something amazing and important, and doing it in a way that you don’t often see.
SL: I loved episode three in particular, it was like the Daily Mail-ification of a story, as that episode in particular shows so brilliantly how different perspectives, create hugely different versions of an event, and how things can be so cruelly twisted. The cast is brilliant with you two in the lead, but the wider cast seem great as well. How important are those relationships when you’re filming such heavy material? Was it a lot fo dipping in and out of the serious filming and then relief of being out of it?
Russell: Obviously you’ve got two titans of theatre in the show, but it was great as well when you look at Spit & Polish, you’ve got such a great young cast bringing the show to life. In the fifth episode you’ve got the football crowd, who couldn’t have been nicer in real life. A lot of the cast knew each other, have put on shows together and it was lovely to see them come together. The staff at Spit & Polish represent this huge hope for the future of young people and it was joyous to see that offscreen as well. They’re all still mates.
Alan: They’re so sweet, the group chat is still going
David: Yeah, they’re messaging Alan about today
SL: Ahh that’s so nice. I hope the group chat is called Spit & Polish…
David: The fact that we [Alan and I] have known each other for a long time meant that going into this, we had a strong connection already. We knew it was going to be intense, and quite heavy so going in and doing that with someone you’ve only just met would have been much harder. One of the first scenes we did it’s just us walking down the street together and chatting, and at the end of it, Russel came out and went “Can I just say that’s the first time you two have been on set together for forty years.” And I was like, Oh my god I’d forgotten!
Alan: To have finally worked with both of them, and to have a source of friendship, it gave a sense of security which allowed us to go deeper. We were able to get more crazy.
I feel in a way no that dissimilar to Leo, you know he’s a man of my age (61), I run a bar, I have lived through all those things – I’m not HIV positive – but I’ve lived through all those things and fears. All the issues and attitudes prevailing in the show I’ve dealt with. So I felt so deeply and sort of in parallel with the story, I felt so personally connected to it as a human.
David: And that was the whole crew. You’d chat and stand around and laugh with people, and then we’d go and film the most awful sequence.
Alan: People were so emotional and really open about the emotional connections to it
SL: It's quite intense from the very opening scene so I imagine you probably need that connection on set. I'm not sure how much I'm allowed to say...
David: With the time structure of the show, it starts with the ending, so it’s not really a who dunnit, it’s a why dunnit.
SL: Perfect
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