Mania Harlequin Grim

This the first episode in the two part series of The Vampire of Düsseldorf. We find ourselves in early 20th century Germany to pursue a killer whose entire life and crimes were instrumental in helping the psychologist Carl Berg define the term 'sadism'.

For this half, we will focus on the shocking nature of Peter Kürten's upbringing, his adolescence, and his first brushes with murder. 
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After the Bender family settles in the Osage township in 1871, bodies begin popping up in nearby creeks. As suspicions mount amongst the neighbours, the truth starts rearing its head, but it will be more shocking than anybody could have imagined.

Music by Luella Gren.
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As nuns go missing in a late 17th century Benedictine convent, Abbess Agatha must root out the evil lurking in her priory. With one particular sister's behaviour becoming terribly erratic, she suspects the Devil himself is at work. The aftermath will leave a cypher so inhumanly complex—it wouldn't be deciphered for nearly four centuries.

In Italy, that letter is still safeguarded today.

Thank you to Luella Gren for providing the delightful main and outro theme, Old Time Circus.
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Lives held by single threads. Beating hearts clutched in hands. For this Halloween finale to the second season, we pursue three remarkable procedures catalogued from the 19th century. Surgeries so groundbreaking that they were published, discussed, (and sometimes scorned), amidst scores of Victorian medical professionals.

In the previous episode, we discussed dubious and downright comical remedies, but today's narrative attests to the bold courage of Victorian surgeons, anatomists, and patients, willing to spare blood and pain in the feverish pursuit of advancing medical practices.
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We've all heard of bloodletting and leeches, but what of tobacco smoke enemas, crow vomit ointments, and magic pigeons? In this surprisingly educational excursion, we explore three curious remedies from the annals of 19th and 18th century medicine. This topic was voted for by patrons of the show!

Research for this episode would not have been possible without "The Mystery of the Exploding Teeth & Other Curiosities from the History of Medicine". An excellent read for any history buffs.

Music featured in this episode:
Luella Gren, Intro: "Why Is She Crying?" 
Dated: "Autopsy Romance" and "Midnight Visitors" 
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Appearing after the wake of Lavinia Fisher is one of America's deadliest serial killers from the mid 19th century. Arising from the tragic demise of her mother and subsequent abandonment by her father, Honora Kelley, (more infamously regarded as Jane Toppan), entered the world of medicine only to use her training to exact ruthless destruction upon innocent lives. Though grand, Jane's aspirations were simple: "to have killed more people—helpless people—than any other man or woman who ever lived."

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Support the showThank you for enjoying this Grim Theatre production! To support stories and art like this, click here.