Loyalty by Sarah Helm with Maxine Peake at Hampstead

Maxine Peake stars in the World Premiere of Loyalty, by Sarah Helm, at Hampstead Theatre, a fringe venue in Swiss Cottage, north London, from 14 July to 13 Aug 2011.

It is directed by Edward Hall, designed by Francis O'Connor, lighting by Ben Ormerod, sound by Paul Groothuis.

Loyalty is the debut play from writer and journalist Sarah Helm, opponent of the war and wife of Tony Blair's then Chief of Staff, Jonathan Powell. Drawing from her own experience, she has written a fictionalised memoir of what it was like to share a husband with the Prime Minister at key moments in the crisis.

Maxine Peake is currently starring in the BBC's legal drama, Silk. Her many other stage and television credits include Leaves of Glass (Soho Theatre), as Myra Hindley in See No Evil: The Moors Murders, lead roles in Shameless, Dinnerladies, Early Doors, Little Dorrit, Red Riding and Criminal Justice; Luther, The Relapse, The Cherry Orchard (RNT), Miss Julie (Theatre Royal Haymarket), Mother Theresa Is Dead (Royal Court Theatre) and The Third Day (Ambassadors Theatre).