Trafalgar

On 21 October 1805, England engaged in a massive sea battle against Napoleon's navy. It was the definitive naval battle of the Napoleonic Wars and it established Britannia's position as ruler of the seas for the following century and a half. It is a genuine turning point in our island's history for if Britain had lost, it would have been impossible to prevent Napoleon's full-scale invasion of the British Isles. But what really happened at Trafalgar? The anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar is commemorated through this gripping docu-drama based on eye-witness accounts of the action from a range of perspectives.

Britain won, Nelson died, and he may or may not have said "Kiss me, Hardy". But do we know what really happened? Why was it fought? What did it mean? What did it sound like? How did it feel during the six hours it took for the gentle breezes to waft the two fleets together slower than a man could swim?

The battle is one of the best documented, and this drama draws on primary research from documents in the Public Record Office, the National Maritime Museum and the Royal Naval Historical Museum.

Written and directed by Lisa Osborne

Narrator ...... Simon Russsell Beale
Cpt Cumby ...... Michael Maloney
Cpt Cooke ...... Tom Ward
Blackwood ...... Lloyd Hutchinson
Cpt Duff ...... James Fleet
Norwich Duff ...... Dominic Di Rollo
Franklin ...... Andrew Scott
Nelson ...... Anton Lesser
Sophia ...... Georgie Glen
Midshipman ...... Will Nichols Rose

Music by the band of HM Royal Marines

Director Karen Rose.