A Cruel Love | Lucy Boynton set to play the last UK female to receive the death penalty in ITV drama

Ruth Ellis, the last female to be executed in the United Kingdom before the abolishment of the death penalty, will see her final days and the crime that led to her execution come to the small screen later this year with ITV’s “A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story,” starring Lucy Boynton.

Producers for the upcoming drama have explained that the series will be “Set in 1955 in the glamorous and intoxicating world of London club-land, Ruth found huge acclaim, aged 28, as the capital’s youngest club manager,” reads the logline. “But her success soon unravelled as she became entwined in an abusive relationship with racing driver David Blakely. On trial for his murder, Ruth was condemned to hang by a system which judged her for far more than her crime.”

The gruelling role of Ellis will be played by Lucy Boynton, known to international audiences for her role in “Bohemian Rhapsody” but those closer to home (the United Kingdom) will recognize her from a host of television appearances, including her portrayal of writer Angelica Garnett on” Life in Squares,” which aired on BBC. She appeared as an isolated popular girl in “The Blackcoat's Daughter” and starred as a bold aspiring model in “Sing Street,” which was met with critical acclaim

The show has also cast Toby Jones (“Tetris”), Laurie Davidson (“Cats”) and Mark Stanley (“Trigger Point”) in the four-part series, which promises to "expose the British obsession with class, sex and death."

Why was Ruth Ellis executed?

Ellis became entangled in a tumultuous relationship with racer David Blakely, a racing driver. On April 10, 1955, Ellis shot and killed Blakely outside a pub in Hampstead, London. Her trial attracted significant media attention and controversy due to the circumstances surrounding the crime, including allegations of domestic abuse and the intense emotions involved. 

Despite calls for clemency, Ellis was executed by hanging on July 13, 1955, at Holloway Prison in London. Her case played a significant role in sparking debates about the death penalty in the UK and ultimately contributed to its abolition in 1965.

“A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story” is scheduled for release later this year; NationalWorld will bring more details as they are published.