Maxine Peake up for Manchester Theatre Awards

In The Skriker, Peake was described as "a cross between Vivienne Westwood and the Virgin Queen"

Maxine Peake has been nominated for both her acting and writing in this year's Manchester Theatre Awards.

The star is up for best actress for her role as a demonic fairy in The Skriker at the Royal Exchange theatre.

It is the second year in a row she has been up for best actress, after being nominated for playing Hamlet last year.

This year, she is also nominated for best new play for writing Beryl, about cycling champion Beryl Burton, which was staged at The Lowry in Salford.

Peake said cyclist Beryl Burton's achievements had been "criminally ignored"

Peake, known for TV dramas like Shameless, Silk and The Village, wrote Beryl but did not appear in it.

The play, which started life as a BBC Radio 4 drama, told the story of the woman who won seven world titles and held the UK women's all-round title for 25 consecutive years.

The Manchester Evening News' City Life supplement, meanwhile, has named The Skriker the best play of 2015 in its own annual awards.

In her review, the paper's Dianne Bourne described Peake as overseeing "her debauched band of zombie fiends like a cross between Vivienne Westwood and the Virgin Queen".

The production of Caryl Churchill's play was part of last summer's Manchester International Festival.

The Manchester Theatre Awards winners will be announced on 4 March.

Bolton's Octagon theatre leads the main acting and production categories, followed closely by the Royal Exchange and Oldham Coliseum. The Lowry dominates the shortlists for visiting productions.

Manchester Theatre Awards - key categories:

Best actress

• Scarlett Brookes in Educating Rita at Oldham Coliseum

• Barbara Drennan in A View From The Bridge and The Family Way at Octagon Theatre, Bolton

• Kathryn Hunter in Kafka's Monkey at Home

• Maxine Peake in The Skriker at the Royal Exchange

Best actor

• Colin Connor in A View From The Bridge at Octagon Theatre, Bolton

• Rob Edwards in An Enemy Of The People at Octagon Theatre, Bolton

• Jonjo O'Neill in The Crucible at the Royal Exchange

• Sam Swann in Pomona at the Royal Exchange

Best production

• Educating Rita at Oldham Coliseum

• An Enemy of the People at Octagon Theatre, Bolton

• Rites at Contact

• A View From The Bridge at Octagon Theatre, Bolton

See the full list of nominees on the Manchester Theatre Awards website.