Roger
Steinmann
the tragic Survival of Ruth Madoff
Roger Steinmann`s Stage Play surrounds the fate of
the Wife of USD 65 Billion-Wall Street-Ponzi Fraudster Bernie Madoff.
The `One-Woman-Trauma` had its World Premiere in London on June 3, 2025.
THEATER PRODUCTION
R U T H L E S S
Topic Author Premiere
When Bernard L. Madoff died on April 14, 2021 in prison, the worldwide headlines were sporting anew the scandal from 2008, when the biggest financial fraud in history was uncovered.
Madoff pretty much acted by himself to swindel a record amount of USD 65 Billion over four decades, and spanning the entire globe.
Bernie had married his teenage-sweetheart Ruth back in 1959.
At the time of his death, they were still married, thus for over 62 years - although Ruth has broken off all contact after one son committed suicide.
Find details at THE MADOFF SCANDAL
Remembering the immense tragedy with ten thousand victims, Swiss Film- and Theatermaker Roger Steinmann thought: "How must his wife Ruth Madoff feeling... having lost... just about everything - after having spent her entire life with the most hated Man of America...?"
And: "Isn`t she not Bernie`s biggest victim - or yet: his greatest accomplice?"
Find more at AUTHOR
Roger brainstormed ideas surrounding Ruth Madoff`s tragic fate - with the core question pondering: Did she - or didn't she - know about her husbands crimes.
The Author felt that theater, and there a one-woman oeuvre, would be most effective for this stark drama.
The full-length-play came to its form in 2023 in German-language.
Read the German Synopsis TEUFELSKREIS
But it wasn't before Roger adapted the play into English as RUTHLESS and brought it to London, that the production came into motion.
Bravourosly, Emily Swain performed the World-Premiere on June 3, 2025.
The show was produced and directed by the Author, and had a run for 31 performances.
Find more at LONDON PREMIERE
The London-premiere was well received.
Read the Reviews and Critics across several reputed UK-publications here.
Enjoy Trailers, Making-Of-Videos, Stills and Photos of the London-Production here.
RUTHLESS - the tragic Survival of Ruth Madoff
The woman is suffering. Bernard L. Madoff has confessed after 50 years of marriage that he had embezzled USD 65 Billion from every Tom, Dick and Harry – in quiet conclusion, and over decades.
Now, Ruth Madoff is 80 years old. 13 years have passed since the Madoff scandal shook the world. And since the fraudster was locked away for 150 years. Despite having cut off all contact, she has never divorced her childhood sweetheart.
In her daily routine, Ruth prepares breakfast for her two sons - she even hallucinates, Bernie might join... only to be shockingly reminded that both sons have died - one by suicide, the other by accelerated cancer.
The lonely, destitute woman drifts through the wreckage of her former life, as gone is the status as New York’s First Lady, as gone are luxury and wealth, as gone is her family, as gone is just - everything.
Traumatized, she is interrupted by the charm of a young pizza delivery boy - and is instantly fueled by a romantic future with him in his hometown Venice.
Though, Ruth Madoffs life takes a turn for the worse, as she must cruelly learn of her husband’s demise in prison.
Not only is she relentlessly hounded by paparazzi, but the demons of her past torture her anew: 'How well did I actually want to know my husband?'
Ruth Madoff, an innocent bystander - or a willing accomplice?
Currently, I am in preparation of the political `correct` theater-satire OUT OF ORDER, a three person play with a Marie-Antoinette-Imelda Marcos-Melania Trump-like main protagonist who is disguised in her outer beauty, thus her toxic influence on her corrupt dictator-husband is widely underestimated…
The broad social media marketing of this project has already started, see my posts (pictured on Facebook). Its general results will be decisive of where the production eventually will be taken place.