Where was Tip Toe filmed? The real Canal Street bar doubling for Spit & Polish

Russell T Davies is back on Channel 4 with a spiritual successor to his legendary LGBTQ+ drama Queer as Folk, which returns to some of its characters’ old haunts – but from a very different perspective.

Described as an “emergency” by the prolific screenwriter, the series sounds the alarm over rising homophobia and transphobia in Britain today, which is just one aspect of a wider atmosphere of mistrust between various groups.

We meet next-door neighbours Leo (Alan Cumming) and Clive (David Morrissey), who have peacefully coexisted for more than a decade, until an awkward incident leads to a rapid disintegration of their relationship.

Expect a disturbing tale that urges greater communication and compassion to avoid a catastrophic future, set against the backdrop of one of the country’s most popular cities (and its famous gay quarter).

Here’s everything you need to know about where Tip Toe was filmed, including the real bar that doubled for Leo’s fictional Spit & Polish and the quiet street where its fateful events unfold.

Where was Tip Toe filmed?

Tip Toe was filmed in Manchester, with the city’s famous gay quarter Canal Street being a prominent location in the story, where Leo opens his fictional bar Spit & Polish.

Scenes set inside the venue were filmed at a real Canal Street gay bar called The Church (formerly Churchills), with director Peter Hoar telling crowds at a BFI screening that they “could not have been better” hosts.

He added: “The street was oozing out at us all the time. It was a wonderful experience. It was actually quite a lot of fun…. I have to be honest. It was trying, tormenting sometimes, but it was a wonderful crew and cast, so we had a great time.”

Tip Toe executive producer Nicola Shindler explained that she and Davies had previously shot on Canal Street back in 1998, for Queer as Folk, but noted a contrast in how they were “welcomed” back almost three decades later.

“It was an interesting difference between Queer as Folk, [when] no one really knew what we were doing, and there was a lot of watching us, and making sure that we weren’t doing anything that would upset too many people – which obviously, we did,” she recalled.

“But by now, I think they’ve relaxed and they understood what Russell was trying to do, and they just opened up the whole street.”

Davies told press how he aimed to make Spit & Polish feel authentic, despite its fictitious nature.

“It’s been a long time since I went out on Canal Street, so I went to see it,” he revealed. “I know landlords, pub owners, spent many days in one of the pubs, talking to the staff, hanging around during drag brunch, picking up the simple stuff – like how busy they all are. It’s constant work!”

Of course, another key location in Tip Toe is the road where Leo and Clive’s homes are located, the exteriors of which were filmed on Saxon Street in the Miles Platting area of inner Manchester.

Cinematography World revealed that certain scenes in the hard-hitting series required “road closures” to film.

Interiors set inside the houses were actually filmed at the nearby Space Studios, with manager Dean Sinacola detailing an elaborate set-up used to bring Tip Toe to life.

“We had several overlapping interior house sets built on the stage over 18 weeks at the end of 2025,” he said. “The benefit of the studios being so close to the [city] centre meant the production could work on location and on set the same day which is a rare occurrence.”

Tip Toe premieres on Channel 4 on Sunday 31 May.

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