Vincent Regan is Ned Despard

Edward Despard's story fits incredibly well into the world of Poldark. Playing him was interesting as he is a real person among the fictionalised characters in the series.

"Edward Despard was a fascinating person and his story fits incredibly well into the world of Poldark. Playing him was interesting as he is a real person amongst the fictionalised characters in the series, and the fact is that he had a real, poignant story, so I felt there was a gravitas to him that was given to me by history.

Ned’s story is very much about an historical miscarriage of justice, and so there felt a real weight to him. Debbie Horsfield has taken the story of Ned Despard but given a more impetuous quality to him that links him to Ross in a way, because Ross (Aidan Turner) is renowned for his impetuous behaviour. Also, Ned was Ross’s ranking officer in the American Revolutionary War and having fought together they have that camaraderie that veterans have.

Vincent tells us what it was like working alongside Aidan.

"Aidan has inhabited Ross Poldark for four years so he knows the character very well and also he knows the filmmakers and crew, but he is a very generous actor and he listens, which is such a great quality, so he was an easy actor to work with. We got to film some exciting moments involving the mines and there are some fights this series. There is a fair bit of action but a lot of the series is set in London, as that is where the danger is for Ned."

Vincent explains that Ned doesn’t always seem to realise when danger is afoot.

"Ned is one of those characters who believes the best in people, a little bit naïve in a way. He doesn’t realise that people are manipulating him - he doesn’t see the puppeteer.

There are people who want him out the way... he is a trouble maker, an abolitionist who believes in a fair wage for a fair day's work, and in giving land to freed slaves in the colonies - so basically he is doing everything the colonists and imperial powers don’t want. They want to exploit the colonies for everything they can get and because they see him as a threat to their business interests they try and get him done away with. And when he gets to England they trump up charges against him and make out that he is seditious and revolutionary - and they succeed."

Ned's wife is a courageous former slave who spends the series campaigning for her husband’s freedom in an unwelcoming city.

"It's extraordinary. Ned freed Kitty (Kerri McLean) from slavery, married her and had a child with her. It was a mixed-race marriage 200 years ago, which is quite extraordinary and hints at what a modern and forward thinking man Ned was. Kitty is a very strong woman who matched him and when he was thrown in jail when he first returned she went round lobbying to have him released, and she would have been treated so badly in English society at the time because society was openly racist. So she was a hugely brave person. She was sadly written out of history so we don’t even know what happened to her."

Vincent explains about the important history being covered in the final series of Poldark and the relevance of this today.

"What is going to be interesting is when the audience realise this was a real person. It is important for people to know this history and I am hopeful it will spur people on to find out more. I am from east Yorkshire where the abolitionist movement began - William Wilberforce was from Hull. Slavery was abolished in England way before it was in the USA, because it didn’t impact as much on the economy of the UK as it did in the US.

The reason the civil war was fought was due to the issue of slavery and that is about business needs and equality for all people - they don’t work well together and that is something that is so interesting and makes Debbie so current with what she has done with her writing this series. Ned is in trouble because big business wants to exploit land and workers, and so if you delve deeper and peel away some of the layers of the story you can see the social issues which are as relevant now as they were then. So not only is Poldark beautiful to watch on screen and an exciting drama but it is always so relevant."

Foreword by Debbie Horsfield

"When I first picked up the novel Ross Poldark in 2012 I had no idea that seven years later I’d have adapted seven books and completed five series (43 hours!) of Winston Graham’s extraordinary Poldark saga.

In 2015, with great trepidation, we awaited the response to series one - knowing that the 1970s adaptation had been massively popular, and praying that we’d done justice to these amazing stories, characters and Cornwall. Fortunately the casting - Aidan (Turner), Eleanor (Tomlinson), Jack (Farthing), Heida (Reed), Luke (Norris), Kyle (Soller) and Ruby (Bentall) - found favour with audiences, and to our great delight we were asked for more.

Although none of us ever dared to look more than one series ahead, we found ourselves approaching the end of series four (and book seven, The Angry Tide) with something of a dilemma. Our cast was optioned for five series - so what to do with an 11-year time jump and five more books? We knew we’d never be able to wrap up five books in a single series, but no-one wanted to call time just yet, so we looked at another option.

In book eight (The Stranger From The Sea), 11 years down the line, we meet Ross abroad on a special mission for the government. How did he go from restless, sometimes reckless, and somewhat disillusioned MP, who despaired of ever really 'making a difference' in the world, to Special Agent Poldark, sent by the Crown to report from Portugal on the Peninsula War against Napoleon?

Winston Graham had left plenty of hints in book eight about events which had happened in those intervening years, but he gives little away about how Ross achieved that transformation. So for me it was the starting point, the way to navigate through series five. Winston Graham’s son Andrew endorsed my wish to continue his father’s methodology: looking at the historical context (Napoleonic Wars, Act of Union, fast-approaching Abolition of Slavery) and using real events and real people to drive the narrative.

So what would be our events and who would be our new characters? It seemed to me that one thing we had never met so far was a character to whom Ross really looked up to, even to the extent of hero-worship. So when I was researching the early 1800s I came across Colonel Edward Despard. Reading about him I was so reminded of Ross himself that I felt sure Winston Graham knew of him (though Andrew Graham thinks not).

Ned Despard was a war hero who, like Ross believed in justice, compassion, equality and liberty for all. His wife Catherine was a former slave from Jamaica. And her rise to be his equal, her determination in the face of prejudice and scorn was uncannily reminiscent of Demelza’s own journey. As was the love and devotion both couples felt for each other. I wanted Ned to be part of Ross’ journey towards greater maturity, to be the salutary lesson, his 'there but for the grace of God'.

Tracing Despard and Catherine’s real life story, intertwining it with Ross and Demelza’s and seeing them deal with the consequences of that entanglement, forms the spine of series five and introduces on the way other real-life characters such as James Hadfield (would-be assassin of George III), William Wickham (founder of the British foreign secret service) and Joseph Merceron (the 'Godfather' of East London). Inextricably involved with Ross and Demelza’s journey are Ross’s nemesis George Warleggan, as well as friends and allies Dwight and Caroline Enys, Sam, Drake and Morwenna Carne.

It feels strange, and a little sad, to be approaching the transmission of series five knowing that we won’t be returning to Cornwall, but it’s been an extraordinary journey for all of us and we feel truly fortunate to have lived with these characters and stories for so long. What’s next for me? A contemporary series. Watch this space. Not a tricorn in sight. I’m excited for the next project - but I’ll miss that Cornish surf!"

Character Descriptions

Ross
Ross hoped to put London behind him to focus on peaceful, family life, but a plea from his old Army Colonel, Ned Despard, compels him to the capital to help. As Ross’ world becomes entangled with the Despards', new alliances and old enemies threaten his loved ones and the nation itself, testing our hero’s resolve like never before.

Demelza
As she grows into her role of Cornwall’s beloved defender, Demelza is still looking out for the less fortunate of her world. But when the Despards enter her life, Demelza finds there are repercussions to getting involved: Cornwall needs her own help now more than ever, and new forces threaten all she holds dear.

Drake
Although he has finally married and settled down with Morwenna, Drake yearns to mend the wounds of her past. As the journey to wedded bliss proves uncertain, Drake’s love is tested. How far is he truly willing to go?

Sam
Sam is rising in the community and is admired as a leader. When Tess Tregidden makes it her mission to cause trouble, Sam makes it his to convert her wayward soul. As he helps Demelza in the community, an unexpected romance blossoms for him too.

Morwenna
Though reconciled with Drake in marriage, Morwenna struggles with intimacy, in the wake of her life with her brutish former husband. With the loss of John Conan still haunting her, Morwenna finds her old life overlapping with her new, but as the community come to rely on her she grows into a new role with a hope she had not foreseen.

Geoffrey Charles
Following his mother’s death, Geoffrey takes his future into his own hands and follows in Ross’ footsteps by joining the military. His path takes him to the capital, where an unlikely attraction finds him in the dangerous waters of forbidden love... 

George
Haunted by the loss of Elizabeth, George looks for his missing spark as he forges onward. His journey sees him entering into an alliance with merchant Ralph Hanson, whose business in the mahogany trade and influence in London promises to expand the Warleggan empire around the world.

Dwight
The future holds great promise for Dwight, who has finally gained recognition in his field. However, the arrival of the Despards comes to drive an ever-growing wedge between him and Ross, testing Dwight’s loyalty to his closest friend and the strength of his bond with Caroline.

Caroline
Caroline finds a new distraction in championing the Despards, but old insecurities arise as she joins her friends against their common enemy and finds she must battle with her demons once again.

Prudie
Having settled into her role in the Poldark family, Prudie is trusted to run the home and family in their stead. With new enemies emerging, Prudie‘s role as Nampara’s guardian becomes more important than ever and she must employ all her cunning to help save their world from being upturned.

Ned
An ex-army colonel and Ross and Dwight’s’ ranking officer in American Revolutionary War, Ned was made the governor of British Honduras, where he took a former slave as his wife and tried to implement policies ahead of his time. But when he locked horns with corrupt forces in his posting, Ned was recalled to London and locked away in Coldbath Fields prison, without a fair hearing, leaving him hungry for liberty, vindication and revenge.

Kitty
A former slave, Kitty fell in love with her master, Edward 'Ned' Despard, whom she married. In her fight to exonerate her husband, Kitty finds allies in our heroes and her resilience gains their admiration, as she carves a determined path through the moral corruption that surrounds them.

Tess
A former employee of Trenwith, when Tess suddenly finds herself without the means for an honest life, she harbours revenge against the upper classes. Bitter in her quest for a better life, Tess becomes a persistent thorn in our heroes’ sides, and her machinations threaten the stability of their homes.

Cecily
The daughter of Ralph Hanson, Cecily is a staunch supporter of the abolitionist movement, putting her at odds with her family and peers. Educated and independent, Cecily is ahead of her time. In pursuit of her own brand of happiness Cecily falls in love with a man in league with her father’s rivals, testing family loyalties as she tries to make her future her own.

Ralph Hanson
Father of Cecily and a wealthy mahogany merchant, Ralph Hanson seeks a new backer to fund his enterprise abroad. To this end he enters an alliance with the Warleggans, and crosses swords with our heroes when his dealings come to impact upon their lives.

Joseph Merceron
Joseph is a powerful and enterprising magistrate with connections and influence throughout the social and political tiers of London.

Related Programme Information

• Episode one
• Episode two