This single drama re-examines the causes and immediate aftermath of the 1819 Peterloo Massacre through the words of contemporary witnesses.
This historical drama reconstructs the events leading up to the Peterloo Massacre on 16 August 1819. The narrative is framed by an Examiner (Robert Hardy) who questions the key participants. These include the radical orator Henry ‘Orator’ Hunt (Peter Ellis), who addressed the crowd of 60,000 gathered at St Peter’s Fields, Manchester. The authorities, represented by Magistrate Hulton (Ian Ogilvy) and Chief Constable Nadin (James Tomlinson), give their justifications for deploying the local yeomanry. The subsequent cavalry charge, led by Captain Birley (David Scase), resulted in multiple deaths and hundreds of injuries, the consequences of which are considered through the testimony of various witnesses.
Ken Campbell’s script treats the Peterloo Massacre not as a historical pageant but as a political inquiry. The drama uses the framing device of an official examination, with Robert Hardy’s interrogator cross-examining the key players from beyond the grave. This structure allows the teleplay to present the conflicting accounts and motivations of radicals, magistrates, and military men side-by-side. Produced by BBC Manchester, the play foregoes conventional dramatic scenes for a more Brechtian presentation, using the direct testimony of historical figures to build a case file on the notorious event. It is less a recreation of a tragedy and more an autopsy of its political causes.
Broadcast: BBC One, 1 Episode, 8 August 1976
Written by: Ken Campbell
Producer: Peter Newington
Director: Peter Newington
Main Cast: Robert Hardy (Examiner), Ian Ogilvy (Magistrate Hulton), David Scase (Captain Birley), James Tomlinson (Chief Constable Nadin), Alan Meadows (Mr Bamford), Paul Webster (Reverend Stanley), Peter Ellis (Henry ‘Orator’ Hunt)
