Ruth Ellis Musical: Unpacking UK’s Last Woman Hanged

Caroline Slocock‘s new musical, ‘Ruth,’ premiering at Wilton’s Music Hall in March 2026, delves into the tragic narrative of Ruth Ellis, the last woman executed in the UK. Ellis was hanged in 1955 for the murder of her abusive lover, David Blakely. Slocock explains her motivation stemmed from a “lightbulb moment,” envisioning the story’s operatic themes of love, death, obsession, and a dramatic love triangle as perfect for musical storytelling, allowing for deeper emotional exploration.

Slocock emphasizes her empathy for Ruth, portraying her not as inherently evil but as a deeply “damaged” individual, scarred by her upbringing and a lifetime of abuse from men, culminating in Blakely’s violence. She posits that the murder might not have occurred had Ellis not been given a gun and taught its use. To ensure authenticity, Slocock meticulously traced Ellis’s footsteps, visiting significant locations like the Magdala pub where the shooting occurred, Blakely’s residence, Ellis’s former nightclub and flat, and her grave in Amersham, finding the experience emotionally overwhelming. While rooted in fact, the musical incorporates one significant imaginative leap central to its plot.

A powerful courtroom scene features a song where Ruth’s fellow hostesses condemn the hypocrisy of the judge and barristers, a moment Slocock finds particularly timely. The musical also highlights Ruth’s “extraordinary courage” and her immediate acceptance of guilt, evidenced by a letter to Blakely’s mother stating, “I shall die loving your son.” The article underscores the lasting impact of Ellis’s case: the defense of ‘diminished responsibility’ was introduced two years after her execution, partly in response to it.

In the contemporary #MeToo era, Slocock believes society would view Ellis’s actions differently, with a greater understanding of the factors driving women to commit murder. She draws parallels to modern cases like Sally Challen, where women who murdered partners after years of physical, mental, or coercive abuse received different responses, reflecting a significant shift in understanding the psychological aspects of such crimes. Slocock notes the sad reality that a large proportion of women in prison today are themselves victims of domestic abuse.

(Source: https://londonist.com/london/on-stage/ruth-ellis-the-musical)