Rubies In the Forest (Working title)

Who put Bella in the Wych Elm? People have been asking this question since 1943.

And who the hell was Bella anyway? Innocent victim of a grisly murder? A witch? A Nazi spy? One thing’s for sure: the woods are full of monsters and we still have to watch where we tread. The Ruby Dolls invite you to join them in the forest if you dare…

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We are at the very beginning of a brand new project based on a true story, weaving fact with local legend. The story of ‘Bella’ is a real cold case from Stourbridge in the West Midlands, where our very own Susanna and Tara hail from. This story has fascinated and angered people since 1943, inciting the repeated act of graffiti upon local walls asking one simple question: ‘Who Put Bella In the Wych Elm?” Many true crime fans have their theories. Our piece will not attempt to solve her murder - we leave that to the experts! But we will be investigating the multiple identities of ‘Bella’ our protagonist, whilst exploring the intersection between folk horror and fairy-tale with a large helping of ridiculousness and of course, lush harmonies. Women like Bella are STILL being taken from our streets, from their homes and are STILL being found dead in our woods and parks. None of us feel safe walking home alone, to which we pose the question: What the fuck?

We hope to tell this story across multiple platforms taking our work in an exciting, brand new direction. Watch this space for more info!

Green Ivy is an original song by The Ruby Dolls and the first piece of material from Rubies In The Forest. It was filmed during lockdown in 2020.