Front Row

Maxine Peake on Mary Whitehouse, West End star Marisha Wallace

Sep 8, 2025
Maxine Peake, an acclaimed actress known for her versatility, discusses her role as Mary Whitehouse in a new play, shedding light on the controversial campaigner's complex legacy and her impact on media morality. West End star Marisha Wallace shares her journey as a performer, detailing her new concert album 'Live in London' and her rise from a farm girl to a musical theatre sensation. Both guests engage in conversations about the power of art in reflecting and influencing societal issues.
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INSIGHT

Reframing A Familiar Figure

  • Maxine Peake discovered Mary Whitehouse was far more politically forceful and homophobic than she'd remembered.
  • The play reframes Whitehouse as a charismatic, unswayable activist whose faith justified her public crusades.
INSIGHT

Campaigning Had Real Consequences

  • The play highlights tangible harms from Whitehouse's actions, notably Gay News being removed from newsstands.
  • This removal hindered community information flow during the AIDS crisis and likely cost lives.
INSIGHT

Prescient But Problematic Critiques

  • Some of Whitehouse's critiques about pornography foresaw cultural trends and resonated with contemporary concerns.
  • Yet her analysis blamed feminists and constrained women's freedoms within a strict domestic ideal.
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