Ruthless - the Survival of Ruth Madoff at Arches Lane Theatre

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:

Tue/Wed/Thu: 7.30 pm
Fri: 7.00 pm
Sat: 2.30 pm & 7.00 pm
Sun: 2.30 pm & 6.30 pm
Tickets: £15 – £39
Box Office: 07833 913760
Email: info@archeslanetheatre.com / info@ruthless.theater
Web: www.archeslanetheatre.com / www.ruthless.theater

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.