Ruth: The Musical

With catchy songs and decent actors this musical brings the story of Ruth to life. Does it follow the scriptural account word for word, No. It is however closer than some others. I absolutely love that they give some back story to Boaz. Well done.

A new, contemporary take on the story of The Book of Ruth, this version was filmed in North Yorkshire and stars some of the region's best talent in music and film making. Adapted, directed and starring Jay Moussa-Mann and calling on local production teams, Ruth - The Musical is a modern step into biblical history. The story is of Ruth, the Moabite woman who, after being widowed, returned to Bethlehem with her mother in law and began to rebuild her life. Along the way she faces prejudice, racism, sexism and yet has the strength and resolve to remain true to her choice - that of accepting the Israelites as her religion and their God as her own and by doing so she receives redemption Now, I will be honest, I am not a religious person so whilst I am aware of the Book of Ruth, I have not explored its themes or messages. Even at Sunday school the old testament and the intricacies of the different races confused me however this new musical version brings clarity and purpose to the teachings and highlights themes which remain true in the modern world - tolerance, understanding, acceptance and integration. Ruth The Musical is not a ' Jesus Christ Superstar' or a 'Joseph' - the musical numbers support the story, they don't tell it - likewise, being shot in North Yorkshire doesn't detract at all from the feeling of the film. It has a very Turkish/Syrian feel both in the music and the cinematography, and refreshingly avoids portraying the landscape as just rocky deserts. Well worth watching and a credit to the team who have produced it on a shoestring budget

The story of Ruth is well told and the performances are great around from a young cast, special mention for the Ami character who made me laugh through out. The songs stick in my head for days after, the film is family friendly. It may not have anywhere near the budget of something like The Greatest Showman or Lalaland but when you temper your expectations in the context of budget it stands up.

If you know anything about the story or the original movie don't watch this version. It does not fallow the story line at all. The women's hair is short, they are wearing modern clothing and Ruth is not a Moabitas Priestess. Ruth's first husband was not killed in a battle/war. I couldn't even get past the first 20 minutes of the movie. Just way to many discrepancies.