Maxine Peake returns to the Royal Exchange for Beckett’s Happy Days

Maxine Peake takes on the role of Samuel Beckett’s enigmatic heroine, Winnie, in artistic director, Sarah Frankcom’s fresh production of Happy Days at the Royal Exchange, Manchester, 25 May – 23 June.

This life-affirming twentieth century classic continues to interrogate the complexity of our rapidly changing world, from our everyday struggles to the epic issues of humanity, making this existential masterpiece as relevant as ever.

Maxine has appeared in A Streetcar Named Desire, The Skriker and Hamlet at the Royal Exchange, all of which were created in partnership with director Sarah Frankcom – and is an as associate artist at the theatre.

Her writing credits include: The Last Testament of Lillian Bilocca; Beryl and Queens of the Coal Age. Film credits include Funny Cow, Mike Leigh’s latest film Peterloo, The Theory of Everything and The Falling. Her television credits include Three Girls, The Village and Silk all for the BBC.

David Crellin joins Maxine on stage in the role of Willie. He returns to the Royal Exchange theatre following his roles in the Mighty Walzer, Hunger for Trade and Saturday Night, Sunday Morning. Other recent theatre credits include: The Weald (Royal Exchange and Snuff Box); The Ockerbys on Ice (The Dukes Lancaster) and the Hoard Festival (New Vic, Stoke)

Sarah Frankcom is the artistic director of the Royal Exchange theatre. Her recent productions include: Our Town; The Last Testament of Lillian Bilocca (Hull City of Culture); A Streetcar Named Desire, The Skriker (co-commission with mif15) and Hamlet (all with Maxine Peake), Blindsided, that day we sang and the Royal Exchange and mif13 co-production the Masque of Anarchy.

The creative team includes designer Naomi Dawson, lighting designer Jack Knowles and sound designer Claire Windsor.

For more details  www.royalexchange.co.uk/HappyDays