Maxine Peake to read from Shelley's Masque of Anarchy
Monday, 27 July 2015
Maxine Peake is to appear at a benefit concert at the Trades Club on the night of Saturday August 8. The event is a fund-raiser for the socialist newspaper the Morning Star, of which Maxine is a supporter.
Maxine Peake at the Trades Club,
Saturday evening, 19th January 2013.
Photo: Bev Manders
She will be reciting verses from the Masque of Anarchy, Shelley's epic poem which was inspired by the Peterloo Massacre of August 16, 1819.
The massacre is now commemorated annually on its anniversary.
In 1819, on August 16, feeder marches from surrounding towns made their way to the venue of a mass meeting of workers and their families to hear speakers call for reform and democracy.
They gathered at St Peter's Field in Manchester.The crowd of 60,000 to 80,000 was charged by Hussars. Fifteen people were killed and more than 400 injured. The massacre sparked widespread protests, and prompted Shelley to write his epic poem.
Maxine Peake, Albert Hall, reading the Masque of Anarchy
Maxine performed the 37-stanza poem in July, 2013, at Manchester's Albert Hall, adjacent to the site of the massacre, to huge acclaim.
Maxine has of course starred in a host of TV shows including Dinner Ladies, Shameless, Silk and The Village.
Films have included See No Evil: The Moors Murders, in 2006, and theatrical roles have included Hamlet.
The concert starts at 8pm. Tickets are £5. Supper is provided. Goods from Cuba will be raffled.