Review of ‘Ruth, The Ruth Ellis Musical’: “Lady-killer musical results in a criminal act”

London’s Wilton’s Music Hall presents this new neonoir musical exploring the trials and tribulations that led the infamous historical character to her tragic ending. Guillermo Nazara shares his straight-shooting views on the show to let us know if audiences will go ballistic about it.

There’s only one thing that I’m grateful for in this musical, and that’s how little they’ve tried to find rhymes for the protagonist’s name — apart from “truth”, that is. The results could have been catastrophic, especially if they had acknowledged Ellis’s eye-for-an-eye quote.

Don’t get me wrong, though. This piece is an absolute disaster, but we can take some solace in the fact that the lyrics, although plain and banal, are definitely not the worst part of this bland, uninspired, clueless, and much-brainless attempt to tell the story of the last woman sentenced to death in the UK through song and dance. Suffice it to say that, despite the approach, it really doesn’t sing. And when it tries to move, it’s nothing but limp.

There’s so much to say about Ruth, and none of it should show any mercy. It is that bad. And it is that embarrassing. A new addition to the antihero-musical pot, its only success stems from presenting the historical facts. And even that effort can’t be celebrated due to the work’s overall infantilised and massively cliched approach.

It comes as a painful surprise that someone like John Cameron, the same man history will remember for his exquisite orchestrations for the original production of the international blockbuster, Les Misérables, is credited as the composer. It is even more surprising that three songwriters share that credit. The entire score is so tremendously insipid and derivative that you wouldn’t believe a professional musician could come up with it, let alone three.

None of the melodies is memorable, with the exception of one single motif. I would advise you against getting your hopes up, though. The excitement will probably vanish the moment you track it down to the Promises, Promises theme I’ll Never Fall In Love Again.

That’s the highlight of an extremely low-rated composition, characterised by a repetitive, nondescript, and generally unappealing sound. All the music could be swapped around from one scene to another, and it wouldn’t make any difference. On the whole, it doesn’t convey any feeling or serve a clear narrative purpose. And ultimately, it comes across as a lazy endeavour made by someone who not only did not understand the task, but didn’t care too much about it either.

Many numbers do not make sense. And for the most part, the book fails to build the right scenario for the personages to break into song. Some excerpts focus on topics that are not relevant to the plot or character development, and therefore shouldn’t be sung about. Some others basically rephrase what has already been said through spoken words two seconds before. Eventually, they add nothing at all, apart from perhaps annoying the audience more than anyone can possibly cope.

The lyrics are shallow. And all in all, they have no subtlety or proper form. There is prosody and an intent for rhyme. Nonetheless, the verses rarely show wit or craftsmanship. The same applies to the book, whose dialogue is excruciatingly superfluous, stagnant, and inorganic. The humour doesn’t land, and the conversations often lack flow and dramatic impact. By the time Ellis’s trial is about to begin, two opposing lawyers shake hands. “Are you ready?” Pause. “Yes”. Not a direct transcription, but it will give everyone an idea of how powerful the writing is.

Redeeming features can usually be spotted in the production, but this one hasn’t helped much in that department either. The design is admittedly the best part, which, despite its minimalism, demonstrates resourcefulness and a visual identity through the use of subtle projections that evenly blend with the venue’s lugubriously enchanting ambience.

The cast doesn’t do their best to defend the piece. And we can’t blame them for that. However, most of the acting is flat, superficial, and displays no nuance or rapport. The only exclusion is Bibi Simpson, who delivers a charming, heartfelt portrayal as the incarcerated Ruth. At the same time, the singing does not excel, with several company members struggling with some essential technical aspects.

She will not be remembered for this show. Let’s hope she isn’t. You may agree with the verdict. You might think it was unfair. No matter where your convictions stand, there is no question that Ruth Ellis’s eponymous musical has sent itself to the gallows through an incredibly heavy-handed execution. From its terribly written script to a score that raises more questions than gives answers to justify its existence, it doesn’t take a jury to realise this musical deserves to be put away. And this is a case that shouldn’t be reopened.

All pictures credit to Charlie Flir.

Ruth, The Ruth Ellis musical plays at London’s Wilton’s Music Hall until 28 March. Tickets are available on the following link.

By Guillermo Nazara