Having graduated from a business school in Zurich and clearly having a head for it, is the play inspired by any of your own experiences or observations?

Well YES – Hollywood says hello with all kind of greedy maws within – I survived there 10 years, nonetheless. And the Hollywood-jungle is just a block away from Madoff’s Wall Street.

We also note that you founded a film production company SUNSET International AG, what makes RUTHLESS ideal for the stage (rather than film)?

RUTHLESS is a ‘One-Lady-Trauma’, given that Ruth Madoff has lost all family, and is shunned by her former high society, thus this makes that lonely character ideal for the stage. Even more so the claustrophobic approach of an ordinary stage-setting - she lives in a dump after having been stripped of her 9-million-dollarpenthouse in the heart of Manhattan.

The play sounds fascinating as fraud is so rarely covered. Is there something in particular that you wanted to share with audiences?

Only when one does lose something important, one realizes the true value of them. Now, Ruth Madoff has lost basically everything: family, friends, fame, and wealth; her current life is a constant rollercoaster. Her past nags on her, and she questions the meaning of surviving. Positive impulses and chances occur within the chaos - what makes this drama a sophisticated trauma and (hopefully) interesting and entertaining to watch – see the similarities to Norma Desmond (‘Sunset Blvd.’) and Blanche DuBois (‘A Streetcar named Desire’).

You also speak several languages: How does this help (or hinder) when writing plays?

It helps. One constantly borrows from other cultures and introduces traits and words to another one as nothing is as regulated as one might assume. Especially in today’s global migration – just watch the melting pot London and its rich cultural mix. That’s why I am not this afraid of getting misunderstood at first… as with a second glimpse the intended meaning might be an eyeopener… 

RUTHLESS is a one person show starring Emily Swain. What were you looking for when you cast the play?

One might have the approach to search for a perfect look-a-like of the actual Ruth Madoff, by putting the inner life second. To my opinion, this is what happened when Michelle Pfeiffer was cast as Ruth: She played it way to mousy. Though in RUTHLESS, the lead is a much more lively and high-spirited character – what makes her an equal perpetuator to an innocent victim. Thus for the casting, I went the other way around. I ended up finding wonderful Emily Swain who is able to show a great range of different nuances and tempers of this complex character. And that includes humour, what makes Emily’s performance truly entertaining.  

Why bring the show to London and in particular to the newly reopened Arches Theatre in Battersea (under the new management KIBO PRODUCTIONS who also manage BARONS COURT PUB THEATRE) at the present time?

RUTHLESS was originally conceived with Broadway in mind – as the Madoff’s, after all, ramped and raged in New York. Though, less than half a year ago, a friend introduced me to the London theatre scene where I met the new manager of Arches Lane Theatre. He instantly was enthusiastic about the project and the play’s potential, thus has put us up as the opening show. Arches Lane Theatre is not only at an amazing location with an own shipping pier at Battersea Power Station (…), but features as well a cinematic seating, that makes it ideal to observe the claustrophobic setting of our 90 minutes show.  

Finally, what are you most looking forward to sharing with audiences?

With the Madoff’s being married over 50 years before the scandal came to light, I guess one question of everybody’s social life cannot be underestimated: 

“How well do you know your partner? Family? Friends…??”