If you were around in 2002, you probably remember the absolute storm caused by the BBC’s adaptation of Sarah Waters' debut novel. It wasn't just "period drama." It was loud. It was messy. It was gloriously queer at a time when British television was still playing it very safe. When people search for the cast of Tipping the Velvet, they usually aren't just looking for a list of names; they’re looking for the people who managed to bring Nan King’s Victorian lesbian odyssey to life without making it feel like a stuffy history lesson.
It’s been over twenty years. Let that sink in.
The show followed Nan’s journey from a Kent oyster parlor to the music halls of London, through the grimy streets of poverty, and into the high-society bedrooms of the wealthy. It was a massive gamble for the BBC. Some critics hated it. Most viewers were obsessed. But the real magic was in the casting.
The Heart of the Show: Rachael Stirling as Nan King
Rachael Stirling had an impossible job. She had to play Nan from a wide-eyed teenager to a cynical, street-hardened woman, and eventually to someone who finally finds a sense of belonging. Honestly, it’s hard to imagine anyone else in those waistcoats. Stirling, the daughter of the legendary Diana Rigg, didn't just lean on her lineage. She brought a specific kind of vulnerability to Nan that made the audience root for her, even when she was making terrible, self-destructive life choices.
Stirling's performance is the anchor. Without her ability to play both the "masculine" swagger of a male impersonator and the "feminine" softness of a woman in love, the whole show would have collapsed.
Kitty Butler and the Spark of Fame
Then there’s Keeley Hawes. Long before she was the face of Line of Duty or Bodyguard, she was Kitty Butler. Kitty is a complicated character. She’s the catalyst for everything—the music hall star who woos Nan away from her family only to eventually betray her for the sake of social respectability.
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Hawes played Kitty with a mix of genuine affection and cold-hearted pragmatism. It’s a performance that makes you frustrated because you want to hate her, but you kind of understand her fear. She knew what the world did to women like her in the 1890s. She chose safety over love. It’s brutal, but it was real.
The Dark Side: Jodhi May and the Cast of Tipping the Velvet’s Grittier Moments
After the heartbreak of Kitty, the story takes a sharp turn into the gothic. This is where Jodhi May comes in as Florence Banner. But before Nan finds Florence, she falls into the clutches of Diana Lethaby, played by Anna Chancellor.
If you only know Anna Chancellor as "Duckface" from Four Weddings and a Funeral, her performance here will shock you. She is terrifying. As the wealthy, predatory Diana, she turns Nan into a "rented" plaything, a "Tom" used for her own amusement. Chancellor plays the role with a sharp, icy precision. It’s one of the most uncomfortable parts of the series, yet it’s essential for Nan’s growth. It showed the power dynamics of the era—not just between men and women, but between the rich and the poor.
- Hugh Bonneville shows up too. Yes, the Downton Abbey patriarch. He plays Ralph Banner, and it’s always a bit of a shock to see him in such a different, less "stiff upper lip" context.
- Benedict Cumberbatch has a tiny, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it role. It was one of his very first TV appearances. Look for him as a suitor for Nan’s sister.
- Sally Hawkins plays Zena Blake. Again, before she was an Oscar nominee, she was part of this incredible ensemble.
Why the Chemistry Worked (And Why It Didn’t for Some)
The BBC took a lot of heat for the "raunchiness" of the show. People called it "the lesbian Tom Jones." But the chemistry between Stirling and Hawes wasn't just about the sex scenes—which, let’s be real, were pretty revolutionary for 2002 terrestrial TV. It was about the way they looked at each other on stage.
The music hall numbers were choreographed with so much energy. You could feel the sweat and the greasepaint. The cast of Tipping the Velvet had to learn how to perform these old-school Victorian routines while also conveying deep, repressed longing. It’s a weird mix, but it worked because the actors took the source material seriously. They didn't treat it like a joke or a parody.
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The Impact of Andrew Davies
You can't talk about the cast without mentioning the man who wrote the script. Andrew Davies is the king of the "bonkbuster" period drama. He’s the one who put Colin Firth in a wet shirt for Pride and Prejudice. With Tipping the Velvet, he took Sarah Waters' dense, 500-page novel and turned it into a fast-paced, three-part romp.
Some fans of the book felt he stripped away some of the political nuance—the socialism and the suffragette movement get a bit sidelined for the romance—but the actors managed to keep that spirit alive. Jodhi May’s Florence, for instance, brings back that sense of purpose. She represents the "new woman," the independent thinker who doesn't need a man or a wealthy patron to define her.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Show
There’s this idea that Tipping the Velvet was just a provocative gimmick. That’s a mistake. If you look at the career trajectories of the people involved, it’s clear this was a powerhouse of talent.
People often forget how risky this was for the actors. In the early 2000s, being associated with "graphic" queer content could still stall a career in the UK. Instead, it did the opposite. It proved that these women were capable of massive emotional range. It paved the way for shows like Gentleman Jack or Orange Is the New Black. It broke the "sad lesbian" trope where everyone dies at the end. Nan gets a happy ending. That was huge.
Where is the cast now?
Rachael Stirling is a staple of British theater and television, recently appearing in Hollington Drive and The Bletchley Circle. Keeley Hawes is essentially the queen of British TV drama at this point. Anna Chancellor continues to be one of the most reliable character actors in the business.
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It’s rare to find a miniseries where almost every supporting player goes on to become a household name.
Seeing the Victorian Era Through a Different Lens
The production design helped the cast immensely. This wasn't the clean, sanitized Victorian London we usually see. It was dirty. The oyster shop felt cold and damp. The music halls felt smoky and dangerous.
When the cast of Tipping the Velvet moved through these sets, they looked like they belonged there. They didn't look like modern actors playing dress-up. The costumes—especially the drag—were meticulously researched. When Stirling puts on the top hat and tails, she transforms. It’s a masterclass in physical acting.
Actionable Insights for Fans and New Viewers
If you’re revisiting the series or watching it for the first time, keep these things in mind to get the most out of the experience:
- Watch the Music Hall scenes closely. Pay attention to the background extras and the audience reactions. The production team tried to replicate the "rowdy" atmosphere of the 1890s, where the audience was as much a part of the show as the performers.
- Read the book by Sarah Waters. While the cast does an amazing job, the novel goes much deeper into the historical context of the socialist movement in London. It adds a whole new layer to Nan and Florence’s relationship.
- Compare it to Fingersmith. If you like this cast, you need to watch the BBC's Fingersmith (2005). It’s another Sarah Waters adaptation, featuring Sally Hawkins and Elaine Cassidy. It’s darker, twistier, and just as well-acted.
- Look for the cameos. As mentioned, seeing a young Benedict Cumberbatch or Hugh Bonneville is a fun "before they were famous" game.
The legacy of the cast of Tipping the Velvet isn't just about the awards or the ratings. It’s about the fact that, twenty years later, we’re still talking about it. It remains a high-water mark for queer representation in mainstream media. It was bold, it was unapologetic, and it was brilliantly acted.
If you want to understand why British drama shifted toward more diverse stories in the 21st century, this is where you start. The performances are timeless. The story is universal. And the oysters? Well, they’re still an acquired taste.
To dive deeper into this era of television, look for archival interviews with Rachael Stirling from the 2002 press tour. She often speaks about the "liberating" experience of playing Nan, which provides great context for her performance. You can also find the original BBC behind-the-scenes featurettes on most DVD releases, which show the intensive rehearsals for the stage performances. Following the careers of the secondary cast members like Sally Hawkins also reveals how this single production served as a massive talent incubator for the British film industry.