Ruthless - the Survival of Ruth Madoff at Arches Lane Theatre
18 May 2025
Newsdesk
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THE WOMAN IS SUFFERING. She is married to the man who embezzled $65 billion from every Tom, Dick, and Harry. She is married to Bernard L. Madoff. She is Ruth Madoff.
Thirteen years have passed since the scandal shook the world—and since Bernie was sentenced to 150 years in prison. Ruth cut off all contact, yet never divorced the childhood sweetheart she married at 18. Now 80, with both sons gone—one by suicide, the other from cancer—Ruth drifts through the wreckage of her former life. Gone is her status as New York’s First Lady. Gone are the luxury, the wealth, the family. Gone is… everything.
In her daily routine, Ruth prepares breakfast for her “happy” family. A fantasy that quickly crumbles under the weight of her tragic loneliness. When a young, charming Italian pizza delivery boy arrives, he sparks in her a vision of romantic escape to Venice.
But news of Bernie’s death in prison sends Ruth into chaos. Hounded by paparazzi and haunted by the demons of her past, she finally renounces the world—still facing the crucial question: How much did she really know about her husband?
RUTHLESS is a fictional play inspired by the real-life story of Ruth Madoff. Was she an innocent bystander—or a willing accomplice?
CAST Ruth Madoff: Emily Swain
CREATIVES Writer, Director & Producer: Roger Steinmann Set Designer: Charlie San Myint Dramaturgic Adviser: Ruth Ahmed Marketing Coordinator: Kathleen Murtagh Social Media Marketeer: Brenda Sabryna Administrative Assistant: Ruth Meier Graphic Designer: Vy Miracle Stage Hand, Light & Sound: tbd
LISTINGS INFORMATION RUTHLESS By Roger Steinmann Venue: Arches Lane Theatre, Battersea Power Station Dates: 3 – 29 June 2025 Schedule:
ABOUT EMILY SWAIN Anglo-Irish actor, filmmaker, and voice artist, Emily Swain stars as Queen Eloise in Royal-ish (Hallmark, 2025). Her screen credits include the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, Hulu, and Netflix. She appeared in Netflix’s Dunki with Shah Rukh Khan and Hulu’s The Heritage. On stage, she toured in King Charles III (Almeida), performed in A Scandal in Bohemia in Pakistan, and most recently in The Life and Times of Jelly Roll Morton at Chichester Festival Theatre.
ABOUT ROGER STEINMANN Swiss-Hollywood writer-director-producer Roger Steinmann began making films at age 8. Known for Illusion Infinity (2004), Steinmann has worked with stars like Dee Wallace, Mickey Rooney, and Timothy Bottoms. His recent works include the satire WIN=WIN and the upcoming dystopian play w.w.STONEAGE, premiering after RUTHLESS in 2026.
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