MAXINE PEAKE is four weeks into rehearsals for her new play, The Children's Hour, at Manchester's Royal Exchange, and with just a week to go until curtain-up the nerves are getting to her.

"I'm terrible with nerves," she said in her thick, raspy Bolton accent. "I spent all weekend panicking about whether I'll be ready or not and I couldn't sleep last night. I actually got some feedback from an audition a few weeks ago and they said to my agent she's a bit nervous isn't she?' "But rehearsals are going well, it's a great play, really one to get your teeth into. My American accent is going OK, but it's still very much a work in progress."

The Children's Hour is a new production of the powerful Lillian Hellman play written in 1933 and set in small-town America. It is a passionate drama of prejudice and paranoia after a pupil accuses her female teachers of an illicit affair.

The play caused huge controversy when first performed and was banned in Britain until the 1950s.

Maxine said she thinks it is still relevant today.

"The play is about a lie spread and the outrage it causes and how it ruins the characters lives. Although people's reactions to lesbianism today are probably quite different to how they would have been when the play was first performed, I do think it's still relevant to modern audiences.

"There are still some places where attitudes are very backwards and people are still funny about sexuality around children.

"It's nonsense, why does it matter whether you're straight or gay to work with children?

"But unfortunately there's a lot of people who are short-sighted and mis-educated.

"Even though nothing is seen and lesbianism isn't mentioned, the play was very controversial when it was first performed and it was banned in England until the fifties.

"Even then it was only shown in a private theatre performance."

But Maxine is no stranger to controversy.

In 2006 she played Myra Hindley in See No Evil, a powerful two-part drama based on the chilling story of the child-killer.

"People ask why I did that role, but I just wanted to do it really," she said.

"I heard about it through a friend so I got on the phone and said to my agent 'Can you get a scene for it?'.

"It took her a while to convince them I was suitable.

"I was like 'Well who else is 5ft 7in with peroxide blonde hair and a northern accent?!' "I had a few actor friends who said 'You're crazy to touch that' but although it was heinous what she did, I thought it was a story that should be told I wanted to be a part of it.

"I believe we all have dark sides to our character and you don't know what we're capable of if the right buttons are pushed, that's the human condition, but I didn't come away from the role thinking 'I understand Myra Hindley now'."

Of course Maxine is best-known for her role as Veronica in Paul Abbott's smash-hit comedy drama Shameless, said to be based on his up-bringing in Burnley.

"People recognise me most from being in Shameless and definitely when I'm back up in Manchester," said Maxine.

"The nice thing is that everybody is always really pleasant when they come up to say hello.

"I love it - my friends laugh at me because whenever I'm recognised I have this massive grin on my face.

"I'm lucky because I have a friend who was in a soap and people used to come up and give her grief.

"When you're in a soap people seem to think they know you because you're on TV three times a week.

"They think you're the same person as your character.

"I'm just as bad though. I saw the guy who plays Roy Cropper in Corrie the other day and shouted 'There's Roy!' "I think he's great but I couldn't remember his real name, I just call him Roy.

"As a fellow actor I should be ashamed of myself."

Many Shameless fans were disappointed when series four started without Veronica, Maxine's character, but she said three series of the show were enough.

"I've never been a believer in doing acting jobs long term, the reason I got into acting in the first place was because you were always doing different jobs," she said.

"I get a bit bored after a while to be honest and I used to find it difficult to get back in character after six months off between series of Shameless.

"With Veronica I was starting to think I'd done all I could do with the character really. I said 'Look I think I'm going to go' and they were like 'Ok see you then'. They didn't put a fight up!"

For now, Maxine is just enjoying being back near family in Manchester, but in the future she would love to go into films.

"I'm not interested in Hollywood glamour, although if they ask me I'm not going to say 'no thanks I'm washing my hair tonight' but I'd like to do a film, maybe a British film, something a bit gritty and a bit different, a bit out there.

"I'm interested in doing some experimental stuff and more plays.

"Theatre is where I really feel like I'm learning."

  • See Maxine Peake in The Children's Hour, Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, from Wednesday, March 5 to Saturday, April 5. For tickets call 0161 833 9833 or visit the website below.