New Date for Hidden Stories

The Play’s the Thing Theatre Company presents Hidden Stories. A double-bill of new one-act plays featuring Now You See Me by Carly Halse and Darlint Peidi by Rosemary Hill. The production now takes place on Tuesday 6 June at Bridge House Theatre, Warwick School, Myton Road, Warwick.

The two short plays written by female playwrights will revisit and delve into the famous cases of Ruth Ellis and Edith Thompson to uncover the hidden stories of these two women both accused of murder and sentenced to death.

Now You See Me by Carly Halse.

This is the ‘hidden story’ Of Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be hanged in England. The year was 1955. Ruth Ellis openly admitted to the murder of her lover David Blakely who she shot at the Magdala Pub in London. What is little known though is that Blakely was violent and controlling. A few days before the murder he had brutally beaten Ruth and she suffered a miscarriage. At a time when she needed support her close friend Desmond Cussen gave her a gun and showed her how to use it. He was never called to account. Her case led to changes in the law recognising the defence of diminished responsibility.

Darlint Peidi by Rosemary Hill.

Edith Thompson was executed in 1923 alongside her young lover Frederick Bywaters. Edith Thompson apparently knew nothing about the plan to murder her husband, Percy. Bywaters always maintained he acted alone. But Thompson was older than him and seen as an immoral seducer. But she was also a dreamer who wrote letters to her lover describing their perfect life together after her husband was gone. Was she executed for adultery rather than murder, a victim of the social climate of the time? If she had lived through the swinging sixties would society have judged her differently?

Rosemary Hill, Artistic Director of The Play’s The Thing and writer of Darlint Peidi says: “Hidden Stories gives an intriguing look at stories not told or stories where we have a particular accepted version, but there is often more to say.

“People’s judgements on elements such as the age gap between Edith and Bywaters, Edith’s letters, Ruth’s job and her appearance, are not made on facts. They are susceptible to prejudice. These innocent women were executed in a male dominated society.

“The 9th of January 2023 marked the centenary of Edith Thompson’s execution. Touring with her Hidden Story during the 100th year anniversary of her death, will hopefully make her case even more poignant and thought provoking for our audiences. We hope it will challenge and raise awareness of not only her miscarriage of justice, but others too.”

The Play’s the Thing Theatre Company has been awarded funding from Arts Council England to take two brand new plays based on historic true crime cases to Bridge House Theatre on 6 June as part of its Hidden Stories tour.

Hidden Stories is suitable for those aged 14+.

For further information, and tickets please visit: https://playsthethingtheatrecompany.co.uk/productions/hidden-stories-national-tour