Peake practice
Award-winning actress Maxine Peake takes the lead role in Ruth Fowler’s powerful, #metoo drama, Rules of The Game. She tells Insider about the experience of working on the four-part series
Can you tell us about the plot of Rules of the Game?
The show is set in a sportswear company run by the Jenkins family. There is a strong air of toxic masculinity that runs through the workforce and the work practices. Maya, a young woman who takes on the role of the new HR director, comes in to investigate and things start to unravel; secrets from the past are exposed. It encompasses a lot about acceptable behaviour over the decades; what was seen as acceptable then and what is now. My character is at the centre of this and for me, it’s about whether she is implicit or a victim of this whole dynamic. Obviously, it’s not just about this company; it’s about something that is systemic in all forms at workplaces and institutions.
Is the show relevant today?
This show is so relevant and important now because we had this explosion with the Me Too movement, but obviously, like everything else, we need to continue with it. I found the movement made me uncomfortable in some ways because it focused very much on our industry, film and TV, when actually this is happening in every workforce and to people who have no way of speaking out. This show takes it out of a showbusiness-focused scenario, and shows it’s systemic in our society. I think it’s important that we keep telling these stories and keep the momentum. Things are changing, but not fast enough. There are still issues to be tackled, and it’s not going away anytime soon. I know we’re not changing the world, but we’re making sure that these issues don’t go away. We have something that is a drama but has a strong political vein running through it.
What did you think of your character, Sam, when you first read the script?
I just loved the fact that Sam, to me, felt real. I felt I knew Sam; she had a sense of humour, she was incredibly flawed. She is warm and compassionate, but other times she’s selfish; so she’s likeable and unlikeable in equal measure. I liked the challenge of not making her some striding businesswoman nightmare, but making her real. Also, the fact that she herself has been a victim, but is only starting to realise and be honest with herself.
It’s a very engaging premise…
I think the show keeps us hooked in because it’s got a great cast of characters, especially the women. They are fully-rounded and they’re funny and flawed. Each woman within this, whatever the size of the part, has a journey. I’m a big fan of character-based drama. You will engage with these people, there’s a lot of toing and froing about who’s side you’re on. It’s very clever in that it’s got such a strong theme and it’s very relevant, but it’s also a whodunit story. I think it’s got so many elements to it, not just ‘let’s guess who the killer is’.
Have did you find shooting the series in Manchester?
It’s great being up North because I live in Salford. I’m from Bolton originally and then I lived in London for about 12 years and then I came home – I call Salford home. My character’s house was a ten-minute walk from where I live, which has never happened to me. During the last election, polling day was great because I could walk to my local polling centre– I went in my wig – and cast my vote in my scene off! That was a bonus, because a lot of the time you’re away, and after the year we’ve all had, being able to work from home has eased me back into filming after having a bit of a break.
Things are changing, but not fast enough. There are still issues to be tackled