The first trailer for Peterloo, which tells the story of one of the bloodiest days in the city’s history, has been released ahead of its premiere later this year.
The minute-long preview hints at the difficult conditions faced by Manchester’s spinners and weavers, which culminated in more than 60,000 people gathering in St Peter’s Field for a peaceful protest for reform, on August 16, 1819.
The workers can be heard chanting ‘liberty or death’ before the trailer abruptly ends ahead of the pivotal moment a cavalry charges into the crowd, killing 15 and injuring more than 800 people.
Salford born film maker Leigh has assembled a stellar cast for the film, his first since Oscar nominated Mr Turner biopic in 2014. It features Maxine Peake, as well as Rory Kinnear as radical speaker Henry Hunt, alongside a roster of Manchester born acting talent, including David Bamber, Nico Mirallegro and Pearce Quigley.