Maxine Peak, best known for her work in The Falling (2014), The Theory of Everything (2014) and most recently Three Girls (2017), will star in Mike Leigh‘s period drama Peterloo. This will be the first film Mike Leigh has directed in almost five years.
Peterloo tells the story of the massacre that erupted when cavalry stormed at a crowd of 60-80,000 people during a peaceful protest on August 16, 1819. The group had amassed at St. Peter’s Field, Manchester to demand parliamentary reform during a time of economic depression. 15 were killed in the chaos.
Peak herself likes to get involved with politics; in her youth, she was involved with communist organisations and famously endorsed Jeremy Corbyn in the recent General Election. To be involved in this project which highlights protest and injustice, I imagine, must be a considerable honour for her.
Filming began this week on the film, on location at the Old Hall in Parnell Street, Gainsborough. There are many more details to be announced on the film, understandably when the cast will amount in the hundreds.
It is expected that Peterloo will have a 2018 release.
#Peace.Love.MaxinePeak
