In this episode, we hear a bit of our lovely 10th anniversary show in Berlin, and DLS co-founder Katy Derbyshire gives us the rundown on Caroline of Brunswick, who was officially queen of the United Kingdom and Hanover for three whole weeks before she died in 1821, long-estranged from her horrible husband, her cousin King George IV. They had separated shortly after the birth of their only child, and Caroline’s access to her daughter was restricted. She later moved to Italy, celebrated the right to bare arms, and lived with a handsome secretary, prompting huge amounts of gossip and countless caricatures. When George ascended to the throne, Caroline tried to cash in on her popularity and become queen, but she was literally locked out of the coronation.
It’s our tenth anniversary! How did that happen? So on Tuesday May 13th we’re jubilating to the max, bringing you three ladies we’ve always wanted to talk about but never quite dared. And seeing as it’s our birthday, we’re doing it all in English – it’s our party and we’ll cry if we want to. Your beloved co-hosts Florian Duijsens and Katy Derbyshire will be presenting two remarkable characters from history, and our special guest Saskia Vogel will worm the truth out of them about the event’s advent.
As for you, our charming audience, we thought we’d offer you a fun opportunity. All you have to do is DRESS UP AS A DEAD LADY OF YOUR CHOICE, and we’ll let you in for free! Join us to marvel over how time’s passed, while looking ahead to a future full of laudable dead ladies. In a good way!
Standard tickets cost €10, the reduced price is €4, and you can buy them here. Doors open 7:30 pm – come on time to get a good seat! What’s more, the first 39 people through the door will get a free drink ticket to celebrate our 39 shows in 10 years 🙂
Caroline of Brunswick was officially queen of the United Kingdom and Hanover for three whole weeks before she died in 1821, long-estranged from her horrible husband, her cousin King George IV. They had separated shortly after the birth of their only child, and Caroline’s access to her daughter was restricted. She later moved to Italy and lived with a handsome secretary, prompting huge amounts of gossip and countless caricatures. When George ascended to the throne, Caroline tried to cash in on her popularity and become queen, but she was literally locked out of the coronation.
Eileen Agar was the sort of artist who looked at a hat and thought, What if it grew feathers, sprouted seashells, and started whispering secrets to strangers? Born in Buenos Aires and raised in Britain, Agar was a painter, collagist and sculptor with a delicious taste for the absurd. She danced on the edges of Surrealism—sometimes elbowing her way in, sometimes pirouetting just out of reach—and exhibited alongside the likes of Dalí and Ernst, though she never let their moustaches overshadow her own wildly imaginative vision.
Katy Derbyshire is a literary translator and part-time publisher, co-host and co-founder of the Dead Ladies Show.
Florian Duijsens edits, teaches, translates, travels, and is the co-host and co-founder of the Dead Ladies Show.
Saskia Vogel is a writer and translator and deputy editor of The Erotic Review. Her translation of Balsam Karam’s The Singularity won the University of Iowa Translators’ Choice Award in 2024.
The Dead Ladies Show 