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Salterton Arts Review wrote: "Is Ruth a tragic figure? A villain? A punchline? Or maybe all of the above? Ruthless never quite resolves that, and in time I came to appreciate its ambiguity. / ...ultimately the idea is an interesting one, and Steinmann teases enough interesting threads out of it without overstretching the concept. It’s a thoughtful take on public downfall and private self-deception."

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Everything Theatre wrote: "This is an incredibly biographical production about a woman who has been left to fend for herself in a world where she is utterly despised." 

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Robert McLanachan from London Pub Theatres wrote: "Although the play is fiction, it is based on real people and real events and so gets right into your head and leaves you asking what really happened.  Although a whole range of reasons, excuses, blames, lies and bullshit were thrown at Ruthie by her lost family members and her own twisted mind, we in the audience may be left to figure it out for ourselves."

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The Reviews Hub, London wrote: "The script leans towards great sweeps of emotion and melodrama.  Ultimately, Ruth is blamed for her gullibility, naivety, and materialism in a portrayal that verges on the misogynistic. / ...was she an innocent bystander or willing accomplice? Ruthless presents one version of events, and the clue is in the title."

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Trisha Cusack from the Live Review wrote: "...with such an interesting subject matter and Steinmann’s passion, with some further development, there is potential for this production to bring Ruth Madoff’s story back into the spotlight, hopefully for better reasons than in 2008."

 

Simon Ward from The Peg Review wrote: "The central performance by Emily Swain is a solipsistic triumph."

 

Cathie from Theatre & Tonic wrote: "Whether you see this story as a sympathetic tragedy, revel in the pain the Madoff family experienced following the scandal, as many in the audience discussed afterwards, or if you enjoy short plays based on real events, then this is the show for you. / The set is stark yet effective."

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Deskbound Dramatic wrote: "Overall, Ruthless has potential to be a gripping piece of theatre. There are positive elements within the production including the subject matter, theatrical staging concepts and Emily Swain’s performance."1]