
Lucy Boynton as Ruth Ellis in A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story (2025) © SILVERPRINT PICTURES FOR ITV/ITVX
Director: Lee Haven Jones
Starring: Lucy Boynton, Toby Jones, Laurie Davidson, Mark Stanley, Joe Armstrong, Arthur Darvill, Juliet Stevenson, Toby Stephens
Production Company: Silverprint Pictures
Kent Locations Used: The Historic Dockyard Chatham
A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story (2025) is a four-part ITV historical drama based on Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be hanged in Britain.
Directed by Lee Haven Jones (The Feast, The Long Call), the series stars Lucy Boynton (Sing Street, Bohemian Rhapsody) as Ruth Ellis, Toby Jones (Mr Bates vs the Post Office (2024), Empire of Light (2023)) as her lawyer John Bickford, Laurie Davidson (Cats, Will), Mark Stanley (Trigger Point (2022), Sulphur and White (2020)), Joe Armstrong (Robin Hood, Darkest Hour (2018)), Arthur Darvill (World on Fire (2019), Doctor Who), Juliet Stevenson (Pierrepoint (2006), Queens of Mystery (2020-2021)) and Toby Stephens (Summer of Rockets (2019), Die Another Day).
Filming took place at the entrance to The Historic Dockyard Chatham, which doubled for the entrance to Holloway Prison.
The Historic Dockyard Chatham is one of Kent’s most popular filming locations. Set on the River Medway, the Dockyard spans over 80 acres, containing over 100 buildings dating from the Georgian and Victorian periods. Other recent productions to have filmed at the Dockyard include Call the Midwife (2012-2024), The Great (2020-2023) and The Crown – Series 1-6 (2016-2023).
A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story (2025) will air on ITV on Monday 17th February 2025.
For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.