VIDEO: Extraordinary clip of Silk and The Village star Maxine Peak as Hamlet

VIDEO EXCLUSIVE: Maxine Peak in the film version of her female Hamlet after acclaimed roles in TV smashes like Silk, The Village and Shameless.

By Stefan Kyriazis, Arts Editor

Maxine PeakeJONATHAN KEENAN

Maxine Peake

Maxine Peake certainly doesn't believe it taking the easy road.

The 40-year-old is about to hit the big screen in her bold reimagining of one of Shakespeare's classic male leads, Hamlet.

The filmed version of her dramatic run on stage at Manchester's Royal Exchange Theatre hits cinemas across the UK on March 23.

It is yet another extraordinarily powerful and daring performance from the actress who burst onto our screens in Shameless, before similarly dynamic roles in Silk and The Village.

This new take on Hamlet is directed by Peake's regular theatrical collaborator, Sarah Frankom.

Peake says that they wanted to avoid all the usual takes on the troubled Prince of Denmark.

"We didn’t want to do this big polished Shakespeare production.

"Instead we tell the story of family tragedy. It is the most challenging thing I have done to date.

"Not just mentally but physically as well; it was tough to keep up the high-energy performance for three hours every night."

The actress insists that the decision to play such an iconic male role wasn't simply for the controversy.

"First, we discussed playing Hamlet as a woman but that wasn’t why we wanted to do it.

"All humans have a male and a female side to them and I have always been fascinated with playing a character with male attributes.

"We came to the conclusion that she [Hamlet] was born a woman but felt very male and everyone in the court accepted that she was actually a male.

"It is about telling a story and, whether you are male or female, you can do that."

WATCH AN EXCLUSIVE CLIP OF MAXINE PEAKE AS HAMLET NEXT 

Hamlet Picturehouse Cinemas

Even so, Peake was aware that the production would attract attention.

She found a unique way to avoid feeling overwhelmed by the pressure of the potential controversy and the historical weight of the piece itself.

"The beauty of what Sarah does is centred around new writing so we took it as a new play, so I didn’t really feel the pressure.

"I knew some people wouldn’t like it, I knew it would upset some people, but I knew that Sarah and I could do it because we work so well together.

"I couldn’t have done it with anyone else, I trust Sarah implicitly.

"People compare me to Branagh or Kennier but they are men so they have a head start.

"I can’t be compared to them, I am doing my version of it."

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Maxine Peake with Katie WestJONATHAN KEENAN

Maxine Peake with Katie West as Ophelia

Even so, Peake admits that the play takes a toll on any actor, male or female.

"It was a lot harder than I expected, I now have so much respect for anyone that has played that role.

"It is acting and then some!

"It’s about physical stamina and energy.

"I have experienced grief a few times in my life and I was shocked at how angry it made me and that was something I tried to tap into."

One of the greatest joys for Peake of seeing the stage version on the big screen was the opportunity to take it all in like a member of the audience.

"I got to see how brilliant everyone else is in the play.

"When you’re in the play you don’t get chance to see everyone else in the production but I got the chance to see every scene and the detail in it.

"I don’t think I have ever seen a play and just thought all the performances were amazing and on the same level.

"It was an ensemble piece, a team effort to tell the story."

Maxine Peak's Hamlet is out in cinemas on March 23

Hamlet posterPH

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