

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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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.
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.
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.