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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Catherine Love

Betty! A Sort of Musical review – Maxine Peake brings Boothroyd’s story to the stage

Performance politics … Maxine Peake in Betty! A Sort of Musical at Royal Exchange theatre, Manchester.
Performance politics … Maxine Peake in Betty! A Sort of Musical at Royal Exchange theatre, Manchester. Photograph: Johan Persson

Politics is a kind of performance. Betty Boothroyd, first female speaker of the House of Commons and one-time dancer, certainly knew this. Maxine Peake and Seiriol Davies’s new show celebrates Boothroyd’s particular brand of parliamentary theatre, as well as shining a spotlight on the more ordinary performances taking place in village halls and community centres up and down the country.

Maxine Peake in Betty! A Sort of Musical at Royal Exchange theatre, Manchester.
Gleeful … Maxine Peake in Betty! A Sort of Musical at Royal Exchange theatre, Manchester. Photograph: Johan Persson
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