A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story

Last updated

A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story
Genre Historical drama
Based onA Fine Day For Hanging: The Real Ruth Ellis Story by Carol Ann Lee
Screenplay byKelly Jones
Directed byLee Haven Jones
Starring
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes4
Production
Executive producer
  • Kate Bartlett
ProducerAngie Daniell
EditorDavid Fisher
Production company
  • Silverprint Pictures
Original release
Network ITVX

A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story, [1] [2] originally titled Ruth, is an upcoming, four-part British historical drama television series for ITVX, starring Lucy Boynton as Ruth Ellis, the last woman hanged in Britain, and Toby Jones as her solicitor John Bickford.

Contents

Synopsis

Ellis was the last woman to be hanged in the United Kingdom after the fatal shooting of her abusive lover. [3]

Cast

Production

The project is produced by Silverprint Pictures for ITVX and is based on Carol Ann Lee’s biography A Fine Day For Hanging: The Real Ruth Ellis Story. The script is written by Kelly Jones with Angie Daniell producing the series and Lee Haven Jones directing all four episodes, originally entitled Ruth. [4]

On 19 February 2024, ITV announced the series' retitling to A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story and released a first-look image of Lucy Boynton in character as Ellis. [1] [2]

Casting

In June 2023, Lucy Boynton joined the cast. [5] In September 2023 it was revealed the cast would also include Toby Jones, Laurie Davidson, Mark Stanley, Joe Armstrong, Arthur Darvill, Juliet Stevenson and Toby Stephens. [6]

Filming

Filming took place in Dorchester, Dorset in October 2023; [7] specific filming locations included Dorchester Prison. [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruth Ellis</span> British escort and murderer

Ruth Ellis was a British nightclub hostess and convicted murderer who became the last woman to be executed in the United Kingdom following the fatal shooting of her lover, David Blakely.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toby Jones</span> British actor (born 1966)

Toby Edward Heslewood Jones is an English actor. He is known for his extensive character actor roles on stage and screen. From 1989 to 1991, Jones trained at L'École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq. He made his stage debut in 2001 in the comedy play The Play What I Wrote, which played in the West End and on Broadway, earning him a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. In 2020, he was nominated for his second Olivier Award, for Best Actor for his performance in a revival of Anton Chekov's Uncle Vanya.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucy Boynton</span> British-American actress (born 1994)

Lucy Boynton is a British and American actress. Raised in London, she made her professional debut as the young Beatrix Potter in Miss Potter (2006). She appeared in television productions Ballet Shoes (2007), Sense and Sensibility (2008) and Mo (2010), making guest appearances on Lewis, Borgia, Endeavour, and Law & Order: UK. Boynton portrayed writer Angelica Garnett on Life in Squares, which aired on BBC. She appeared as an isolated popular girl in The Blackcoat's Daughter (2015) and starred as a bold aspiring model in Sing Street (2016). She also appeared in horror films I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House (2016) and Don't Knock Twice (2016).

Sir Sebag Shaw, was a British barrister and judge.

<i>Unforgiven</i> (TV series) 2009 three-part British television drama

Unforgiven is a three-part British television drama series, written by Sally Wainwright and directed by David Evans, that first broadcast on ITV in January 2009, and later on STV in 2012. Produced by the Red Production Company, Unforgiven follows Ruth Slater, a woman found guilty of murdering two police officers when she was a teenager. Upon release from prison, Ruth is determined to find her sister, who was adopted shortly after the incident. The series is set in Yorkshire, specifically the village of Boothtown in Halifax.

<i>Love & Death</i> (miniseries) 2023 American biographical crime drama television miniseries

Love & Death is an American biographical crime drama television miniseries directed by Lesli Linka Glatter and Clark Johnson, written by David E. Kelley that premiered on April 27, 2023, on HBO Max. It stars Elizabeth Olsen, Jesse Plemons, Lily Rabe, Patrick Fugit, Krysten Ritter, Tom Pelphrey, Elizabeth Marvel, and Keir Gilchrist.

Sky Max is a British pay television channel which launched on 1 September 2021 along with Sky Showcase. It is owned and operated by Sky Group, a subsidiary of Comcast.

<i>The Dry</i> (TV series) TV series or program

The Dry is an Irish comedy-drama television series created by Nancy Harris and produced by Element Pictures. It stars Roisin Gallagher, Siobhán Cullen, Moe Dunford and Ciarán Hinds. The series premiered as a BritBox original on 5 May 2022.

<i>Nolly</i> (TV series) British biographical miniseries

Nolly is a British three-part biographical television miniseries created by Russell T Davies, starring Helena Bonham Carter as Crossroads star Noele Gordon. The series premiered on 2 February 2023, on the new streaming platform ITVX. It was broadcast on ITV1 for three consecutive nights from 27 December 2023 to 29 December.

<i>Riches</i> (TV series) British TV series or programme

Riches is a British drama television series created by Abby Ajayi, starring Deborah Ayorinde, Hugh Quarshie, and Sarah Niles. It premiered on 22 December 2022 in the United Kingdom, first on ITVX before airing on ITV on 30 June 2023. It premiered on Amazon Prime Video in the United States on 2 December 2022. In December 2023 The series was cancelled after one series.

Three Little Birds is a British historical drama television series written by Sir Lenny Henry in collaboration with Russell T Davies. Developed by Douglas Road and Tiger Aspect Productions under Banijay UK, the six-part series is based on Henry's mother Winifred's experiences arriving in Britain from Jamaica as part of the Windrush generation in 1957.

Tom Jones is an ITV four-part television drama reimagining Henry Fielding's 1749 novel The History of Tom Jones, A Foundling. It is directed by Georgia Parris and adapted by Gwyneth Hughes, with Solly McLeod playing the eponymous hero Tom Jones. The show premiered on PBS in the United States from 30 April 2023.

Passenger is a British dark comedy-thriller television series created by Andrew Buchan in his screenwriting debut. It premiered on ITV1 and ITVX in the United Kingdom before airing on ITV on 24 March 2024.

Significant Other is a British comedy drama television series made by Quay Street Productions for ITVX starring Katherine Parkinson and Youssef Kerkour.

The Long Shadow is a seven-part British true crime drama television series, written by George Kay and directed by Lewis Arnold. The series details the five-year manhunt for the serial killer Peter Sutcliffe, commonly referred to as the Yorkshire Ripper. The series began airing on ITV1 on 25 September 2023.

Toxic Town is an upcoming British drama television series, written by Jack Thorne. It follows the story of three mothers involved in the Corby toxic waste case.

Platform 7 is a British four-part psychological thriller television series based on the 2019 novel Platform Seven by Louise Doughty, adapted by Paula Milne and developed by Dancing Ledge Productions for ITVX. It was released on ITVX on 7 December 2023, and will air at a later date on ITV1.

Playing Nice is an upcoming four-part television series for ITVX, from StudioCanal. Set in Cornwall and based on the book of the same name by J.P. Delaney, James Norton stars and executive produces through his production company Rabbit Track Pictures. Kate Hewitt directs from a script adaptation from Grace Ofori-Attah.

<i>Mr Bates vs The Post Office</i> 2024 British television series

Mr Bates vs The Post Office is a four-part British television drama series for ITV, written by Gwyneth Hughes, directed by James Strong and starring an ensemble cast led by Toby Jones. The series is a dramatisation of the British Post Office scandal, a miscarriage of justice in which hundreds of subpostmasters were wrongly prosecuted privately and publicly for theft, false accounting or fraud due to a faulty computer system called Horizon. It was broadcast on four consecutive days from 1 January 2024.

Red Eye is a six-part British thriller television series, created by Peter A Dowling and starring Jing Lusi, Richard Armitage and Lesley Sharp. It premiered on ITV1 and ITVX on 21 April 2024.

References

  1. 1 2 Goldbart, Max (19 February 2024). "ITV Unveils Exclusive First-Look Image Of Lucy Boynton As Ruth Ellis, The Last Woman Hanged In Britain". Deadline . Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  2. 1 2 "ITV and Silverprint Pictures release first look image of Lucy Boynton as Ruth Ellis in intoxicating drama, A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story". ITV . 19 February 2024. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  3. Cormack, Morgan (28 September 2023). "Toby Jones and Happy Valley stars join cast of ITV's Ruth Ellis drama". Radio Times. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  4. Kanter, Jake (13 June 2023). "Lucy Boynton Headlines ITV Series 'Ruth' About The Last Woman To Hang In The UK". Deadline Hillywood. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  5. Hibbs, James (13 June 2023). "Lucy Boynton plays Ruth Ellis in ITV drama about last woman hanged in UK". Radio Times. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  6. Goldbart, Max (28 September 2023). "Toby Jones Boards ITV Drama 'Ruth' About Last Woman To Be Hanged In Britain". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  7. Taylor, Mike (28 October 2023). "Filming for ITV drama series wraps up in Dorchester as production crews take over car park". Dorset.Live. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  8. Carr, Hollie (29 October 2023). "ITV film four-part drama 'Ruth' in Dorchester prison". Dorset Echo. Retrieved 28 December 2023.