Description

A gripping drama about Ruth Ells, the last woman to be hanged in Britain.

A divorcee with a young child to care for, Ruth works in the kind of nightclubs where there’s more than just a drink on offer. The girls work hard, play hard and dream of  movie-star life. Then she meets the wealthy, womanising David, a racing driver with whom she becomes obsessed. Fame comes — but not in the way she imagines.

Why does their relationship end in murder? Why does she plead not guilty but offer no defence? Why does she show no remorse? And who is she trying to protect?

Amanda Whittington’s play The Thrill of Love dramatises the true story of Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be hanged in Britain, and takes a fresh look at the woman behind the headlines.

The Thrill of Love was first staged at the New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme, in 2013.