Maxine Peake

Marcel Marceau: national treasure?

This week I've been thinking Maxine Peake is brilliant.
Currently Comic Relief is trailing a sketch where celebrities compete to be named ‘Britain’s National Treasure.’ Personalities taking part are former racist, Cheryl Fernandez-Versini; topless feminist, Katie Price; and industry anarchist, Russell Brand. Last week I watched a programme fronted by a genuine national treasure: Maxine Peake.

Maxine Peake began her career in Paul Abbot’s, Shameless. When Shameless first aired it was a completely different show to what it became. Originally, Abbot pillaged his childhood for storylines: like the Gallagher children of the show, he too had a feckless father and absent mother. Despite documenting the hardship of being poor, a rich vein of humour ran through the show. Over time Abbot wrote fewer episodes, ceding control of his autobiography to ghostwriters who- judging by their caricatured take on character- took most of their plot-lines from The Jeremy Kyle Show. In many ways the direction of the show is a metaphor for the country’s view of the working class: what was once viewed as a 3D set-up is now mocked as a 2D punch-line.

Maxine Peake is a passionate voice that challenges the pernicious image of the working poor. Last year on The Culture Show, I saw her visiting Manchester’s ‘People’s History Museum.’ In a building that documents the struggle of the labour movement, she spoke passionately about being a young Communist and lifelong Socialist. Later in the episode, she was seen performing Shelly’s 1819 poem, The Masque of Anarchy – a lyrical response to the Peterloo Massacre, where 15 protestors were killed by the State. Shelly’s invocation to democracy: ‘we are many, they are few’ was she said as pertinent then as it is now. At a time when Oscars are won on the playing fields of Eton, it is refreshing to still have an actor in the old tradition: northern, working-class and politically angry.

Maxine Peake at Manchester's 'Albert Hall.'

Flicking through the channels, I noticed she was presenting a show called Artsnight. A guest curates the show each week, giving them free license to choose the artistic content. It began with a round-table discussion between her and other women in the arts on what can be done to open up the industry to female voices. The general consensus was affordable child-care barred women from participation.

Peake then moved on to discuss Shelagh Delaney, a playwright currently undergoing something of a renaissance with revivals of her work up and down the country. I first heard of Delaney through Morrissey, my idol. Many of his lyrics were transposed from her 1958 play, Taste of Honey. Even if you’re not a Smiths aficionado, the film is a required watch as it shows a maverick at work: the black and white films of the time were escapist, loquacious swoons; Taste, on the other hand, was a taboo-busting, raw-wry celebration of non-conformity.

Next, Peake ran a feature on the band, Sleaford Mods. Although I don’t buy as much music as I used to, I read a lot of music websites and consider myself quite up to date with what’s going on. But to my disappointment, I wasn’t even aware they existed. I concurred with Peake’s view on the band: they are what this anaemic country needs. So many disempowered people are turning to the politics of hate because the establishment has let them down – these are depressing days. In response, Mods have written an album that drops its trousers over the privileged and, in a feat of verbal diarrhoea, proceeds to shit in their mouths. Apologies if that metaphor is base but it is representative of the scattergun humour of lyricist, Jason Williamson. The tune ‘You’re Brave,’ a satire on an antique collector’s party, is a great example of how cock, spleen and brain combine to create unique aural graffiti: ‘I just wanked in your toilet. Polish that you connoisseur. I’m a connoisseur. I conned you sir. Nicked your biscuits. Laughed with your mates. You fucking tit rifle.’

On one hand the words are coarse and repulsive; on the other he’s punned on the word connoisseur. Like the early series of Shameless, the band shows the irreverence and inventiveness of being working class. Given that so much attention is given to the former over the latter, it is important we have people like Peake championing creative outsiders.

The Artsnight show can be viewed here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0551jtq