E4 has revealed the cast for Banana, a new series of stand-alone stories covering “50 shades of gay and beyond”.

The eight 30-minute episodes begin filming in Manchester next week, offering “an intriguing and often outrageous peek into the individual lives, loves and losses of a range of characters”.

Banana is one of three new interlinked shows from Russell T Davies (Queer As Folk, Doctor Who) – with Channel 4’s Cucumber and online show Tofu – exploring 21st century gay life.

Character include young lesbian Scotty, who pursues an unrequited love; 19-year-old Dean who has mysterious family secrets and a sexually charged liaison with the enigmatic Geordie Man; Sian who is struggling to choose between lover Violet and her over-protective mum Vanessa; and Helen who’s besieged by unwanted attention from an ex.

Alongside Cucumber regulars Freddie Fox (Parade’s End) and Fisayo Akinade (Fresh Meat), Banana will star Hannah John-Kamen (Happy Valley), Letitia Wright (Top Boy), Georgia Henshaw (Waterloo Road), Andrew Hayden-Smith (Doctor Who) and comedian Bethany Black in her television debut.

Creator Russell T Davies commented: “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.”

Davies has written three episodes of Banana, with the other episodes penned by Great British Bake Off presenter Sue Perkins, Matthew Barry and new writers Charlie Covell and Lee Warburton.

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