The Thrill of Love by Amanda Whittington
Directed by Kathy Gent

Variously described as a Blonde Bombshell and a Femme Fatale, Ruth Ellis famously became the last woman to be hanged in Britain in July 1955. This exciting play that premiered in February 2013, explores the lives and relationships of the beautiful, sassy and smart women who sought an escape from poverty in the perceived glamour of the London nightclub scene.

If there’s one thing that fascinates us more than a blonde bombshell, it’s a blonde bombshell who doubles as a criminal. Ruth Ellis who calmly confessed to shooting dead her lover David Blakeley on Easter Sunday 1955, was the last woman to be hanged in Britain and has been a source of lasting fascination ever since. Whilst Ellis pleaded not guilty, she offered no defence and sealed her own fate by declaring whilst on oath: “It is obvious that when I shot him, I intended to kill him”. “No further questions” came the withering reply. The case, and the public outcry that followed eventually led to the abolition of the death penalty in Britain. Certainly today, a court would have taken longer than 15 minutes to convict and condemn – but sexual abuse and domestic violence were not acknowledged or named and so could not be used as a defence.

Set to an achingly beautiful Billie Holiday soundtrack we are led by Detective Inspector Jack Gale, in film noir style, through the extraordinary events before and after the notorious murder. You are cordially invited to the Rose Centre, to meet the women who are dreaming of Hollywood rather than Holloway.
 

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