The Bitch from Brixton: Brockley Jack: 5/03/10

The Bitch from Brixton, performed at the Brockley Jack as part of the Write Now season of new writing, challenged our perceptions of the demise of Ruth Ellis. Starring Kirsty Nielson, Jonathan Dolling, Cary Crankson and Ben Whybrow, the show shed new light on a dark chapter in the British justice system, claiming as it did, that Ellis was a spy employed by the British government. Whether you choose to be taken in by this claim or not, this new angle on Ruth Ellis’s life and death produced a compelling piece of work.

Throughout the performance Ellis was constantly dressing and undressing, and being cajoled and forced by the male characters to dress according to their liking. This successfully created the image of Ruth Ellis as a living doll, a mannequin, or a puppet, who existed merely to be used and moulded to the desires of others. Therefore, an extra layer of interaction and power play between the various characters was cleverly created.

The over-riding theme of the play was not justice or injustice, but rather manipulation. All the characters were trying to manipulate each other in order to further their own ends. From a young age Ellis had been abused and exploited at home, and following this had to learn how to play the manipulation game to survive. However Ellis’s own attempts at manipulation and controlling the actions of others in order to improve her lot in life fall flat. Ruth Ellis is forced to return to the Camera Club, and a seedy lifestyle she thought was behind her, as she says herself, “a week ago, I thought the Camera Club was below me”. It is emphasised here that Ruth Ellis is mistaken in her belief that she can better herself, that she can control her life. Rather, Ellis herself is the subject that is controlled by others; by her father, her boss, Desmond, her lover, and finally her lawyer. Ellis’s life has never been in her own hands, her fate has never been her own.

This particular take on the life story of Ruth Ellis is overly-coloured by the writers’ own feminism, and the overtly political message distracts from the story. Ellis is portrayed as the victim, at the mercy of the men in her life. It is not her fault that her life has crumbled, but rather that of the men; it is not her fault that she murders a man, but rather that of the men in her life. Ruth Ellis is not held to account for her own actions and decisions, and is excused her failings and her guilt. The concept of individual choice, free will, and Ellis’s ability to shape her own fate are all but ignored.

The lack of direct, face to face interaction between the characters during the play was not convincing, and detrimentally affected the presentation and development of the relationships created on the stage. Due to the fact that the characters were speaking to each other without looking at one another, many of the relationships portrayed were flat and one-dimensional. If we had seen the characters communicate fully, especially if we had seen more reactions and a wider use of body language, the characters would have been more realistic and life-like. Having said this, the scene in Ellis’s club where all four actors are lined up facing the audience, and each man is trying to converse with Ruth Ellis, until their noise grows to a crescendo, was striking in showing the relationships between the characters and, more importantly how Ellis was being pulled in differing directions by the different men.

Kirsty Nielson, the actress playing Ruth Ellis was trying too hard, and ended up over-acting the part and giving it an unneeded melodramatic edge. To be honest, Nielson was not necessarily the right choice for the role of Ellis, having a distinct lack of the gravitas required for such a well-rounded, well-known character. Kirtsy Nielson did succeed in portraying Ruth Ellis very convincingly as a child, however the desired maturity was missing as the character aged and developed.

The production came to a head with a powerful finale, which unveiled the characters’ true intentions and agendas, as Ellis’s demise becomes inevitable. The design of the final scene was visually arresting, as the production ended with Ruth Ellis lit alone, awaiting her death.

Overall, The Bitch from Brixton was a fresh, exciting play, which engaged intelligently with the case of Ruth Ellis, and depicted a rarely heard facet of her life, even if its historical accuracy is still to be proven.