Alan Cumming and David Morrissey to lead Russell T Davies' new Channel 4 drama Tip Toe

They'll play. neighbours Leo and Clive.

As filming begins in Manchester on Russell T Davies' brand new five-part drama Tip Toe, Channel 4 has today confirmed that Alan Cumming and David Morrissey will both lead the cast.

Tip Toe will follow Leo and Clive who have lived next door to each other in Manchester for almost 15 years. But just as life should be settling down, the world around them is growing more tense.

Words become weapons, opinions become radicalised, and gradually, two neighbours become deadly enemies in a tense, suburban thriller which challenges everything we consider to be safe.

Alan Cumming plays Leo, who's described as vivid, funny and dynamic, and the owner of a bar called Spit & Polish in Manchester’s Gay Village. Whilst David Morrissey plays Leo’s unsmiling and troubled next-door neighbour, Clive.

On joining the cast, Alan Cumming said "The best things in life are worth waiting for, and the best people. Russell T Davies and I have been trying to work together for over 20 years. Now, not only are we working together but doing so with one of my dearest, oldest friends, Dave Morrissey, and in a piece of work I think is so brilliant and prescient and necessary. I don’t say this lightly, but this is truly an honour."

To which David Morrissey added "I'm delighted to be working with Russell again, and also to be working with Alan who has been a great friend of mine for over 40 years but we’ve never had the chance to work together. It’s a privilege to be with them both on this astonishing piece of work."

Tip Toe promises to be populated with a cast of vibrant characters and underscored with Davies’ trademark wit and deft humour, is an urgent tale that brings a spotlight to bear on the prejudices which are creeping back into our lives.

Joining Alan Cumming and David Morrissey will be Pooky Quesnel as Clive’s wife Marie, Jackson Connor as Clive’s youngest son George, Joseph Evans as George’s older brother Saul, Elizabeth Berrington as Leo’s best friend Stephanie, Iz Hesketh as Zee and Shakeel Kimotho as Hanna, who both work at Spit & Polish.

Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo stars as the bar’s manager Judy, Paul Rhys as Melba, a Canal Street fixture, Charlie Condou as Leo’s ex-husband Curtis, and Denise Welch as Diane.

Produced by Quay Street Productions (part of ITV Studios), Tip Toe has been written and created by Russell T Davies, cast by Andy Pryor, and will be directed by Peter Hoar, produced by Phil Collinson and executive produced by Nicola Shindler, Russell T Davies, Peter Hoar and Alan Cumming.

Tip Toe will air on Channel 4