Cast of Russell T Davies LGBTQ+ series to reunite for major anniversary

The cast of one of Russell T Davies‘ seminal LGBTQ+ dramas is reuniting to mark 10 years since it debuted.

Cucumber, which focused on the lives of gay men of different generations in Manchester, aired on Channel 4 in 2015. It starred Vincent Franklin, Cyril Nri, Julie Hesmondhalgh, and Freddie Fox, among others.

The reunion will take place as part of Scene, Manchester’s LGBTQ+ film and TV festival, which runs from Friday 15 to Thursday 21 August.

10 Years of Cucumber + In Conversation with Russell T Davies & Cast will take place on Wednesday 20 August at the New Century Hall in Manchester.

“Celebrate the 10-year anniversary of Channel 4’s Cucumber with its creator Russell T Davies (Queer as Folk, It’s A Sin), alongside cast members Vincent Franklin and Cyril Nri,” the description for the event reads. “Together they reflect on the show’s legacy, cultural impact, and lead character Henry’s (played by Franklin) journey through Manchester’s dating scene.”

Attendees will also get to watch an episode of the series as well as partake in a Q&A. Scene says more guests will be announced soon.

Cucumber, along with its spin-off series Banana, examined LGBTQ+ life in 2015 including queer acceptance in society, homophobia, and intergenerational relationships and connections. The shows were accompanied by a web series called Tofu that provided an educational exploration of queer sex topics.

Cucumber received positive reviews at the time, with critics celebrating the themes of the show as well as the balance of comedy and drama. However, it proved more divisive amongst audiences themselves.

The series also showed some of the darker sides of gay life, with Cucumber especially, highlighting homophobic abuse with a shock twist death and the surprise reappearance of a beloved character from Queer as Folk.

Scene festival will open with the “genre-bending sci-fi romance” Lesbian Space Princess, with a variety of events running across the week.

Among them is a discussion with RuPaul’s Drag Race producers Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato who will talk about creating WOW Presents Plus and queer storytelling.

There will also be another discussion on LGBTQ+ representation in schools on screen with the producers of Waterloo Road. Trans cast member and Wreck star, Miya Ocego, will join as well as Sonya Nisa.

Tickets are available here.