Maxine Peake joins the #Metoo and takes on office sexual politics

Maxine Peake shines in Me Too thriller

The new drama Rules of the Game, written by journalist Ruth Fowler, revolves around Manchester-based sportswear company Fly Dynamic – a family-run business hoping to become publicly-traded – and its Chief Operating Officer Sam, a formidable figure within the business played by Anne‘s Maxine Peake.

Shameless and Silk star Peake – who is dominating the January TV schedule with her roles in this and ITV’s Anne – is perfect as the ruthless Sam, whose willingness to play along with the toxic, boys’ club atmosphere cultivated by Fly Dynamic’s bosses Gareth (Kieran Bew) and Owen Jenkins (Ben Batt) is only properly challenged when Maya joins the company.

At times, the expository dialogue can feel somewhat heavy-handed – (in one scene, Tess, who is reluctant to go into work, is told by her grandmother: “If you can shag, you can work”) – while there are a few plot points that are hard to accept, such as Sam making her young daughter do work experience at Fly Dynamic despite knowing about her bosses’ predatory natures. However, the drama as a whole is a thought-provoking thriller, bolstered by its stellar cast and a murder-mystery plot that’ll have you binge-watching all four episodes.

Is Rules of the Game, the BBC drama about sexual politics, based on real story?

The premise of the plot itself is based on a fictional character and story, but the undercurrent of the plot is strongly based in truth, and in particular, the #MeToo movement.

As creator of the four-part drama, Ruth Fowler explained on her website: “A month after my play bled for the household truth closed, I got a call. Would I like to write a British-based TV series about the abuse of women in the workplace, loosely based on the Harvey Weinstein scandal, but packaged in a BBC1 Sunday-night thriller format? I was broke so I said yes.”

Rules of the Game aims to reflect real-life reactions to sexual politics in the workplace, from internalised misogny to harmful behaviour between colleagues. As Peake stated, “I know we’re not changing the world, but we’re making sure that these issues don’t go away, we have something that is a drama but has a strong political vein running through it.

What is #MeToo movement?

The #MeToo phrase was first coined in 2006 by Tarana Burke, an advocate for women in New York. Burke wanted a way to empower women who had endured sexual violence by letting them know that they were not alone—that other women had suffered the same experience they had.

Then, in 2017, the phrase was reintroduced by actress Alyssa Milano as a way to encourage women and men to share their stories as part of an anti-sexual harassment movement. The results of the revived movement have since been astounding, with people sharing their stories accompanied by the hashtag #MeToo across many different social media platforms.

And in the wake of these disclosures, some of the nation’s most powerful people in entertainment, sports, and politics have been exposed for sexually harassing or assaulting others.

Milano’s decision to reintroduce the phrase was prompted by a New York Times article in which Harvey Weinstein was accused of sexual harassment. At the time, Milano was unaware of the origin of the phrase, and began encouraging survivors to use the hashtag #MeToo on social media to create awareness for the issue and build a sense of community and support among survivors.

Rules of the Game | Trailer – BBC

Who is Maxine Peake?

Maxine Peake is a 47-year-old actress from Bolton. At the age of thirteen she joined the Octagon Youth Theatre before moving on to the Royal Exchange Youth Theatre.

She then completed a course in performing arts in Salford before getting a scholarship to attend Rada. Maxine has written a play, Beryl, about cycling legend Beryl Burton.

Is Maxine Peake married?

Maxine isn’t married but she does have a long term partner. The actress lives in Salford, Manchester, with art director Pawlo Wintoniuk.

What TV shows has Maxine Peake starred in?

Maxine first came to prominence as the hapless but lovable Twinkle in Victoria Wood’s sitcom Dinnerladies. In 2006, she played Myra Hindley in the dark retelling of the real-life Moors Murders.

Another serious role she played was that of sexual health worker Sara Rowbotham in Three Girls – a drama about the Rochdale child sex abuse scandal.

Maxine has since appeared in long-running parts in various shows including Martha Costello in Silk, Miss Wade in Little Dorrit and Veronica in Shameless.

She also appeared in series four of dystopian Netflix series Black Mirror. In 2020, Maxine took on the part of Miss Fozzard in a revamped version of Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads.

In 2022, she kicked off the year by starring in both ITV drama Anne and the BBC’s Rules Of The Game

What is Maxine Peake net worth?

Maxine Peake net worth: Maxine Peake is an English actress who has a net worth of $1 million.

Where is Maxine Peake from?

Westhoughton, United Kingdom
Westhoughton is a town and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England. It is 4 miles southwest of Bolton, 5 miles east of Wigan and 13 miles northwest of Manchester.

Are Sharon Small and Maxine Peake related?

Yeah, OK, I’ll be the evil, bitter, twisted, adopted daughter, sister of Maxine Peake…” she laughs. I think we might be onto something, but at this point the PR tells us time is up. “If I’ve said anything t**tish please don’t write that,” says Small.