Cast for Russell T Davies’s new E4 gay drama announced
By Nick Levine
The cast of Russell T Davies’s new E4 drama series Banana has been announced.
Attitude contributor Andrew Hayden-Smith, Waterloo Road actress Georgia Henshaw, Top Boy‘s Letitia Right, Hannah John-Kamen from Happy Valley and comedian Bethany Black have all landed roles in the series, which promises to show viewers “50 shades of gay and beyond”.
Speaking to Attitude this morning (June 6), Hayden-Smith said: “I’m so excited to have been cast in Banana. I can’t say too much, nor would I want to spoil it for you even if I could, but I think viewers are going to really like what Russell has written and the way the show reflects gay life today.”
Banana is billed as the “partner drama” of Queer As Folk creator Davies’s new Channel 4 series Cucumber, and will tell eight stand-alone stories in 30-minute episodes.
Two of the stars of Cucumber – Freddie Fox and Fisayo Akinade – will also make appearances in Banana.
Banana‘s characters include Scotty, a young lesbian pursuing an unrequited love; Dean, a 19-year-old who has an affair with an enigmatic man from Newcastle; Sian, who is struggling to choose between her lover, Violet, and her over-protective mother Vanessa; and Helen, who’s being hounded by a needy ex.
Russell T Davies has written three episodes of Banana himself, and the series’ writing team also includes Great British Bake Off presenter Sue Perkins.
Davies said in a press release:
“The joy of Banana is in the beautiful, charming, witty and sometimes heart breaking stories of a wide variety of characters, be they gay, lesbian, transgender or anything in-between. The fact we have a bunch of brilliant and wildly talented young people in it, and making it, will give it even more bite and an exciting edge.”
Shooting on Banana is due to start next week in Manchester. Meanwhile, the main cast for Cucumber was announced last month (May), and includes former Coronation Street star Julie Hesmondhalgh – click here for further details.
Cucumber and Banana will be accompanied by an online partner show, Tofu, which is described as “an anarchic and entertaining factual series about sex – from gay to straight, and anything in between – inspired by the dramas each week”.