There is a line in the premiere episode of Russell T Davies’ staggering new drama Tip Toe that perfectly encapsulates the terrifying reality of existing in 2026: “I used to walk into a room and just go ‘ta-da!’ Now, I tiptoe.” It is a quiet, devastating thesis statement for Tip Toe, a show that completely weaponizes the suburban thriller genre to hold a mirror up to our current, toxic culture wars.
Set against the seemingly benign backdrop of suburban Manchester, the series initially masquerades as a domestic drama centering on two longtime neighbours, played brilliantly by Alan Cumming and David Morrissey. But this is Russell T Davies, and the mundane is never just mundane. Over the course of the first two episodes, the show meticulously peels back the polite veneer of community to expose a terrifying underbelly of paranoia and prejudice.
What truly sets Tip Toe apart from Davies’ previous masterworks like It’s a Sin or Years and Years is how deeply uncomfortable the writing is. Davies has constructed a narrative that is deliberately, agonizingly claustrophobic. It doesn’t just ask you to watch a culture clash unfold; it drags you into the crossfire.
“By the middle of the second episode, I realised my jaw was completely locked, my stomach was in knots, and my shoulders were sitting somewhere up near my ears.”
The dialogue is so sharp and the underlying tension so suffocating that it evokes a genuine, involuntary physical reaction. It is a visceral, muscle-clenching experience that leaves you breathless and deeply unsettled. One of Davies other shows Queer As Folk was categorised as “groundbreaking” on its release, its pulling back the curtain on queer existence and was the first time a lot of queer people were shown on screen mirroring real life scenarios. Davies has done several shows since then and while they have had cultural impact, it feels like now is the right time for his sharp writing skills to reflect on the current predicament the queer community finds itself in.
Amidst this suburban powder keg, Eddie Izzard delivers a turn that is nothing short of transcendent. Let’s not mince words: Izzard’s performance is begging for a BAFTA. Stripped of all her usual theatricality and larger-than-life stage presence, she anchors the show’s exploration of modern queer and trans existence with a raw and bruising vulnerability.
Every glance, every hesitation, and every carefully calculated movement she makes on screen communicates the exhausting reality of living in a society that has suddenly decided your existence is up for debate. It is the defining dramatic performance of her career and the way that she interacts with the younger trans characters in this big sprawling bar that has become a staple of Canal Street truly feels like a community.
Tip Toe is a loud and proud statement. Yet, it never forgets the deeply human, intimate stakes at the center of its political fury. If the first two episodes are anything to go by, Russell T Davies hasn’t just written the most important drama of the year, he has written the most terrifying one.
Episodes 1 & 2 of Tip Toe will be available to stream on BINGE and Foxtel On Demand on 2 June. Episodes 3-5 will be available to stream on June 9th. Foxtel customers can watch the double episode premiere on Showcase 8.30pm on 2 June.
