‘A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story,’ About the Last Woman Hanged in Britain, Started With an Email

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As a captivated admirer, I’m thrilled to share that the riveting four-part drama series, “A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story“, is now streaming on BritBox in the United States and will soon be available on ITVX in March. This gripping production stars the talented Lucy Boynton, who you might recognize from her roles in “Bohemian Rhapsody”, “Murder on the Orient Express”, and “The Politician”. In this series, we delve into the perspective of Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be hanged in Britain, a story that promises to be as compelling as it is tragic.

Hailing from ITV Studios’ Silverprint Pictures and adapted from Carol Ann Lee’s biography titled “A Fine Day for Hanging: The Real Ruth Ellis Story,” this show stars Toby Jones as Ellis’ lawyer, Laurie Davidson as the man killed by Ellis, Mark Stanley, Joe Armstrong, Arthur Darvill, Juliet Stevenson, Toby Stephens, Amanda Drew, and Bessie Carter. Kelly Jones wrote the script, while Angie Daniell produced the series and Lee Haven Jones directed all four episodes.

Kate Bartlett, Silverprint’s creative director, and Antonia Gordon, their development director, serve as the show’s top-tier producers. Remarkably, they took on this project without prior planning.

Bartlett shared with THR that she had always known about Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be hanged in England, as a fact familiar from childhood. Additionally, there was the film “Dance With a Stranger.” However, an unexpected email from one of her grandchildren revealed that Ruth’s story hadn’t been fully told before. The book “A Fine Day for a Hanging: The Real Ruth Ellis Story” by Carol Ann Lee, which is now being renamed “A Cruel Love“, was brought to Bartlett’s attention through this email. After reading the incredibly researched and captivating book, they decided to auction it because it provides a comprehensive account of the events leading up to Ruth’s shooting, her shocking one-day trial, and the lesser-known aspects of her story.

As a gamer, I’d put it like this: “I aimed to weave Ellis’ tale, a compelling narrative set in 1955, blending various themes and genres. Above all, my goal was to share her story – one that encompassed female empowerment, courtroom drama, crime, and more. Ruth was truly a trailblazer. She started working at 14, ran a successful club, and was a single mother. These aspects were significantly harder back then, but she was way ahead of her time.

The creators of the series deliberately shaped its narrative structure in an unconventional way. Instead of following a straightforward A-to-B plot, they opted against creating a dark, grimy atmosphere. According to Bartlett, this decision was driven by the emotional depth of the story. He wanted to portray Ruth as a thriving, attractive character in the present day and delve into her complex relationship with David Blakely, which was passionate, obsessive, yet toxic and abusive. To achieve this, they combined a contemporary narrative with flashbacks to the past.

Gordon mentioned that many younger crew members weren’t familiar with the story or the film, and they were about to be taken aback. The surprising aspect for them was learning that it wasn’t too long ago when people were executed in the U.K., as Ruth’s hanging occurred in 1955, which led to a change in the law in 1957. The concept of diminished responsibility emerged at that time. If this defense had been applicable to Ruth, it could have resulted in her charge being reduced from murder to manslaughter instead. And then in 1965, the law was amended to abolish capital punishment in the U.K. So, there was a lot of conversation surrounding this topic.

Additionally, it’s worth mentioning that within the series, Nigel Havers portrayed his own grandfather, Cecil Havers – the judge who sentenced Ruth Ellis to death. As for whether Nigel, a renowned figure in British entertainment, would take on this role, there was some uncertainty; however, he did so with great success, as Gordon noted.

In the second courtroom scene, Bartlett points out that every word spoken is exactly as it was in the original transcripts, which he finds astonishing. He further notes how Ruth appeared to be almost silent, and his grandfather was trying to find a means to encourage her to speak more openly. This lack of self-defense is particularly striking, making the scene quite shocking.

In conclusion, the show’s top producers express their gratitude by singing praise to everyone who contributed to the series. “We were truly fortunate to have assembled such a remarkable team,” states Gordon. Meanwhile, Bartlett adds, “This project has touched our hearts, and we are all deeply passionate about it.

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2025-02-20 12:54