Lucy Boynton is set to star in a new crime drama commissioned by ITV – and we're so looking forward to this one.
The four-part drama, titled Ruth, tells the story of Ruth Ellis, a nightclub hostess who was the last woman to hang in Britain following the fatal shooting of her abusive lover David Blakely.
The death sentence was carried out by famous hangman Albert Pierrepoint and took place at Holloway Prison in 1955 when Ruth was just 28 years old.
The upcoming series, which is written by Kelly Jones [Vigil, The Long Call], is based on Carol Ann Lee's acclaimed biography, A Fine Day for Hanging: The Real Ruth Ellis Story.
© Photo: ITVThe story is told over two parallel timelines, with one half depicting Ruth's entry into a dizzying upper-class London world. The second half follows Ruth's lawyer, John Bickford, as he uncovers secret truths about the case that have been concealed for decades.
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The synopsis continues: "We follow her glamorous lifestyle as a young nightclub manageress, her abusive relationship with the man she later gunned down in cold blood, her arrest, trial and the subsequent legal fight to reprieve her before she was hanged by infamous hangman, Albert Pierrepoint, in Holloway Prison, aged just 28."
© Photo: Getty ImagesProducing the series is Silverprint Pictures, whose portfolio includes Shetland and Vera, while creative director, Kate Bartlett, will executive produce the project.
On being cast in the drama, Lucy said: "Ruth Ellis' story is a fascinating one. Both she and this complex case have always evoked a strong reaction, and with Kelly's insightful scripts I’m looking forward to bringing a new perspective to both familiar audiences as well as those who are unaware of her mark on British history."
© ITVKate Bartlett added: "We are delighted that Lucy Boynton will be playing Ruth and know that she will bring all the subtlety, nuance and brilliance of Kelly’s beautiful scripts to life. Ruth Ellis’s story is such an intoxicating, fascinating and resonant one and it has been wonderful having Carol Ann Lee’s definitive book about Ruth to work with. We can’t wait to bring it to screen."
Who was Ruth Ellis?
Ruth Ellis was a model and nightclub hostess, as well as the mother of a three-year-old daughter and a ten-year-old son.
She was in a relationship with 25-year-old upper-class racing driver, David Blakely. After attempting to call off the relationship, David went to hide out in the Magdala pub in Hampstead.
© BettmannSeeking him out, Ruth waited for him to leave before shooting him in the back. As he fell to the ground, she continued to fire bullets before reportedly handing the gun over to an off-duty policeman in a calm manner.
During her court trial, Ruth spoke about the abuse she experienced at the hands of David. "He only hit me with his fist or hands," she told the Old Bailey jury. "I bruise easily."
© PA ImagesShe also detailed a recent miscarriage: "A few weeks or days previously, I do not know which, David got very violent. I do not know whether that caused the miscarriage or not. He thumped me in the tummy."
The trial lasted just over a day and ended with the unanimous verdict of guilty which resulted in a death sentence.
Ruth's death played a major part in the movement to abolish the death penalty. The fatal sentence was suspended a decade later and finally abolished in 1998.
