Thrill of Love is a serious play written by Amanda Whittington, who has adapted the factual account of Ruth Ellis, the last woman executed in Britain for the murder of her partner, David Blakely. It examines Ruth’s life, motivations, and subsequent conviction.
Ruth is portrayed as a sophisticated, intelligent, and considerate individual employed at a gentleman’s club managed by Sylvia, with colleagues Vickie and Doris. Her eloquence and education is evident, as she regularly addresses grammatical inaccuracies, which serves to underline the challenging social context of post-war Britain during the mid-1950s.
The play opens with Ruth committing the murder and providing a clear confession to Detective Inspector Gale. The narrative alternates between past and present as Gale investigates Ruth’s motives. Rather than focusing on ‘whodunit,’ the central question explored is why-do-it!