Ruth: cast, plot and all about the powerful drama that follows the famous Ruth Ellis murder case

Ruth on ITV1 will follow one of the most notorious murder cases in British criminal history. In 1955 28-year-old Ruth Ellis was the last woman in the UK to be hanged for murder, and now in ITV1 drama Ruth, The Ipcress File star Lucy Boynton is stepping into Ruth's shoes to give us a new perspective into her fascinating story.

Told over two parallel timelines, the series reveals hidden secrets about the case and shows what happened in the months before nightclub manager Ruth killed her abusive lover David Blakely and was later hanged by infamous hangman Albert Pierrepoint. The drama also stars Toby Jones as Ruth’s solicitor John Bickford while Laurie Davidson is her victim David Blakely. Happy Valley and The Reckoning star Mark Stanley plays her lover Desmond Cussen.

“Ruth Ellis’ story is a fascinating one,” says Lucy Boynton. “Both she and this complex case have always evoked a strong reaction, and with Kelly’s (Des and Baptiste writer Kelly Jones) 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.”

Here’s everything you need to know about Ruth coming to ITV1 and ITVX…

Ruth release date

Ruth is a a four-part drama that will premiere on ITV1 in 2024 and will be available to stream on ITVX. There’s no official release date from ITV yet but as soon as we hear anything, we’ll update you on here.

Ruth plot

Ruth follows events in the 1950s with Ruth Ellis enjoying a glamorous life as a young nightclub manager. It delves into the abusive relationship she had with racing driver David Blakely and how it later led her to gun him down in cold blood outside The Magdala pub in Hampstead, London. It shows Ruth's arrest and trial, right up to her execution in Holloway Prison on July 13 1955. It also brings to life the 11th-hour campaign to save her as Ruth and her supporters battle an unforgiving Establishment deteminged to see her hang. We also see Ruth’s solicitor realise how much violence she endured at the hands of Blakely and uncover details that could have saved her had they been aired in court.

Ruth cast — Lucy Boynton as Ruth Ellis

Lucy Boynton plays the ill-fated executed murderess Ruth Ellis.

Lucy recently starred in the Agatha Christie adaptation Why Didn’t They Ask Evans? and played Freddie Mercury’s girlfriend Mary Austin in Bohemian Rhapsody. She’s also appeared in Sing Street, Murder on the Orient Express, The Ipcress File, Miss Potter and Chevalier, in which she played French queen Marie Antoinette. Earlier in 2023 she played Proust Barbie in the Barbie movie.

Who else is starring in Ruth?

Ruth has a great cast, including Toby Jones (The Long Shadow) who plays Ruth’s low-budget but intelligent solicitor John Bickford while Toby Stephens (Die Another Day) is her defence barrister Melford Stevenson QC. Mary and George star Laurie Davidson is her abusive partner David Blakely while Mark Stanley (The Reckoning, Happy Valley) is her lover Desmond Cussen who becomes embroiled in her toxic love triangle. Joe Armstrong (Gentleman Jack) is the detective in charge of her case and Juliet Stevenson (Wolf) is Dr Charity Taylor, governess of Holloway Prison. Arthur Darvill (Broadchurch) is Ruth’s divorce lawyer Victor Mishcon, who fought for her reprieve.

The real Ruth Ellis story — what really happend in the 1950s

On Easter Sunday in 1955, glamorous model, nightclub manager and mother-of-two Ruth Ellis fired six shots outside The Magdala pub in Hampstead, killing her abusive lover David Blakely, an upper class racing driver who wanted to end their relationship. Her trial for his murder took place just three months later and despite the overwhelming evidence that Blakely was physically abusive to her, Ruth was sentenced to death. Attempts to halt the execution failed and she became the last woman in England to be hanged. Her death played a major part in the movement to abolish the death penalty although this didn’t happen until a decade later. 

Is there a Ruth trailer?

There's no trailer for Ruth just yet, it's early days, but we'll post one here when it arrives from ITV.

Behind the scenes and more on Ruth

Ruth is produced by critically acclaimed producers, Silverprint Pictures, part of ITV Studios, whose portfolio includes Shetland, Vera and Flesh and Blood. The drama was commissioned by ITV’s Head of Drama Polly Hill and Drama Commissioner, Huw Kennair Jones. Kelly Jones has written all four scripts and Angie Daniell (World On Fire, Vigil, The Long Call) is producing the series. Lee Haven Jones (Passenger, Feast, The Long Call) directs all four episodes.

Silverprint’s Creative Director, Kate Bartlett (Shetland, Vera, Flesh and Blood, The Long Call) is executive producer alongside Antonia Gordon, Development Director for Silverprint Pictures: "We are absolutely delighted to welcome such a stellar cast to join the amazing Lucy Boynton and bring to screen our wonderful scripts by Kelly Jones. We could not have dreamed of a more perfect cast to tell the compelling and complex story of Ruth Ellis."