The Thrill of Love, by Amanda Whittington
Sat, 15 Mar
|Cheadle Hulme
The story behind the trial of Ruth Ellis, the last woman hanged in Great Britain
Time & Location
15 Mar 2025, 19:45 – 22:00
Cheadle Hulme, Anfield Rd, Cheadle Hulme, Cheadle SK8 5EX, UK
About the event
Directed by Rhiannon Pothecary
A young divorcee with a child to care for, Ruth is a hostess in the kind of 1950s nightclubs where there’s more than just a drink on offer. The girls work hard, play hard and dream of a movie-star life. Then she meets the wealthy, womanising David, a racing driver with whom she becomes obsessed, and her life changes.
Why does their relationship end in murder? Why does she plead not guilty but offer no defence? Why does she show no remorse? And just who is she trying to protect?
Ruth Ellis was a real woman, and in 1955 became the last woman to be hanged in Britain. In the Thrill of Love, her life is re-examined in the light of the society she lived in and the experiences that led to her shooting her lover. Through the eyes of film noir Detective Inspector Gale, the play explores the enigma of a woman whose short but explosive life still resonates, and the impact on the women in her world.
This amateur production is presented by arrangement with Nick Hern Books.
Content warning: depicitons of coercive control and descriptions of violence.