Maxine Peake has been inspired by Betty Boothroyd's general "fabulousness".
Maxine Peake has hailed Betty Boothroyd
The 48-year-old actress plays the former Speaker of the House of Commons in 'Betty!', a comedy musical production, and Maxine has confessed to being inspired by her "explicit glamour and showmanship".
She said: "I think she's a unifying figure. If someone has heard of Betty, the chances are they'll at least admire her, or if not, be slightly obsessed with her.
"But if someone hasn't heard of her, I just have to tell them she used to be kick-line chorus girl and the KGB tried to honeytrap her, and then she rose to the second-highest commoner rank in the land or whatever.
"That is a story, whatever side your bread is buttered politically."
Maxine thinks Boothroyd has a "charisma and presence".
She told the BBC: "The worlds of politics and theatre, I think, do collide. My granddad always used to say to me, 'Politicians, Maxine, are frustrated actors.' And she really has that charisma and presence."
The actress was also determined to celebrate Boothroyd's remarkable life.
Maxine explained: "We just felt she was someone to celebrate. You look at her achievements. It's what she stands for, and her work ethic, what she achieved, what her beliefs were.
"And then when you start with somebody who used to be a Tiller Girl, you think, well, this could be fun, especially for a musical."
Maxine also revealed that Boothroyd has been really supportive of the production.
The actress - who previously starred alongside Victoria Wood in 'Dinnerladies' - shared: "You think, what would she think? But she seemed really pleased about it. We've assured her it's a celebration."
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