My mouse is a scythe

Chop chop chop everything out.

Some of these characters don't half go on.

The key to writing a good script it would seem is to be able to unwrite stuff. Just hack away at useless exposition without loosing the essence but avoiding a swift cliche.
I've also isolated an entirely useless character. I'm not even sure what they were doing in there to start with to be honest.
Unless I can find a reason for MAXINE being in there she's for the chop, or rather she'll be swallowed up by the other characters. Absorbed like a weaker twin in the womb, they'll share her story DNA and become stronger characters. Or better still, a form of narrative Wendingo, the remaining protagonists will cannibalise her best lines and become richer for it.
She has a stay of execution for the moment however, but her chances are looking slim.