West End star Maria Friedman has been cast Elaine Peackock, the mother of EastEnders' Linda Carter.
EastEnders describes her character as larger than life and 'set to ruffle some feathers at The Vic. She's a glamorous landlady, who loves to be the centre of attention - and having successfully run her own pub for years, it is something she excels at.'
Three-time Olivier Award winner Maria said: "I am thrilled to be joining the cast of EastEnders to play Elaine Peacock. Working alongside Kellie Bright and the rest of the Carter clan has been an absolute joy. It has also been a lovely experience to take my West End shoes East for a short trip!”
The mother and daughter are reportedly two pears from a pod and while there relationship is fraught, if you've met Elaine 'everything about Linda makes perfect sense'.
One person who always has time for Elaine is her son in law, Mick. Having got on famously for years, the two are very close. It is down to Mick that Elaine arrives in Albert Square after he realises that something is not right with Linda. Not knowing that Linda is going through the toughest time of her life, Mick is hopeful that Elaine’s arrival will help. But will it make things better or worse?
Maria's best known for her performances in the West End productions of Chicago, Passion, The Woman in White and Ragtime.
Photo © BBC
