Even Worms Will Not Feast on Such Foul Meat

Hardcover Theater’s versions of “penny dreadfuls,” or Victorian-era soap operas, have been so popular in years past that this time around it’s offering five installments, each time imagining a more fantastical mash-up. Making an appearance are historical figures such as Queen Victoria, Scotland Yard founder Sir Robert Peel, and the grave robbers William Burke and William Hare, who became boogeymen for generations of British schoolchildren. Characters borrowed from Victorian pulp include Varney The Vampire, who doesn’t necessarily like being a bloodsucker; and The Beatle, a Middle Eastern sorceress with powers of mind control and self-transformation. Even if you’ve missed earlier installments, each show starts with a recap, so don’t worry about missing anything. 810 W. Lake St., Minneapolis; 612-825-8949;
www.bryantlakebowl.com