Guest post by Deborah Tarrant
What makes a serial killer tick? And are there ever tell-tale signs?
Detective David Swindle, who caught the infamous serial killer Peter Tobin, shares his views in 'The Makings of a Muderer'.
You may think spending an evening at the theatre listening to a Taggart sound-alike telling stories from his detective’s case book may not be the most riveting night out, but we found ourselves drawn into the world one normally doesn’t frequent and the time passed swiftly.
Scottish detective David Swindle presents a chilling, thrilling, night at the theatre as he explores famous murder cases from the detective’s perspective.
“Serial Killers are cunning, conniving, controlling, careful and – I hate to say it – clever,” says David. “They live apparently normal lives and get away with their crimes for years... until eventually detected.”
In the first half he talked about some of Britain’s most infamous serial killers, including Jack the Ripper, Peter Tobin, Harold Shipman, Peter Sutcliffe and the ‘killer couples’ – Fred & Rose West and Moors Murderers Ian Brady & Myra Hindley.
With more than 34 years experience as a senior detective, David Swindle shared his unique insight into the mind of a murderer, the famous cases that were never solved, and how murderers got away with it... from someone on the inside. We heard some information that hadn’t been in the public domain.
David’s talk was interspersed with ‘old school’ information slides on the back screen to punctuate key points and short videos of significant people involved in the cases and crime watch exerts.
David, whose ground-breaking Operation Anagram uncovered the activities of Peter Tobin, paints an often-dark picture of how these monsters come to be.
David also looks at the connections to the local area of the most famous murder cases. Slightly ironic in that many of them came from Scotland so he was well placed!
David Swindle
With over 34 years police service mostly within the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), David has been involved in hundreds of murder investigations and was at the forefront of implementing change and developing innovative national crime investigation processes.
As a high profile senior police detective, he was involved in the innovative use of TV, online and social media regarding serious crime investigations; in particular, investigations of the serial killer Peter Tobin, which included creation of the ground-breaking BBC Crimewatch Operation Anagram website.
Produced by Entertainers who have 20 years experience producing popular entertainment across the UK.
The Makings of a Murderer is a chilling, thrilling, night at the theatre not to be missed. We saw it at the Adelphi Theatre in London and it is currently on an 100 night tour so can be seen at a theatre near you on:
25 April
Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow
27 April
Stamford Corn Exchange
9 May
Villa Marina, Douglas
May 11
Playhouse, Whitley Bay
12 May
The Bridlington Spa
17 May
Riverfront Theatre and Arts Centre,
Newport
18 May
Cambridge Corn Exchange
19 May
Winter Gardens Blackpool
22 May
Theatre Royal Windsor
May 25
Coliseum Aberdare
26 & 27 May
Mast Mayflower Studios,
Southampton
1 June
Grove Theatre Dunstable
2 June
South Holland Centre, Spalding
3 June
Ashcroft Playhouse, Croydon
8 June
The Hawth Crawley
15 June
Town Hall, Birmingham
June 16
Spa Pavilion Felixstowe
17 June
Buxton Opera House
20 June
Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Guildford
21 June
Grand Theatre Wolverhampton
22 June
Alhambra Theatre, Dunfermline
23 June
Sheffield City Hall
24 June
The Old Savoy Northampton
26 June
Festival Theatre Edinburgh
29 June
Empire Theatre Consett
30 June
Mansfield Palace Theatre
1 July
Royal Leamington Spa Theatre
6 July
Royal Hall Harrogate
9 July
The Auditorium Liverpool
16 July
Grand Theatre Lancaster
19 July
Theatre Royal Lincoln
21 July
Tyne Theatre Opera House
Newcastle-Upon -Tyne
22 July
Webster Memorial Theatre Arbroath
28 July
Cliffs Pavilion Southend
29 July
Babbacombe Theatre
9 August
Landmark Theatre, Ilfracombe
11 August
Granville Theatre Ramsgate
12 August
Churchill Theatre Bromley
13 August
Regent Centre Christchurch
1 September
Swansea Grand
2 September
Altrincham Garrick Playhouse
6 September
Floral Pavilion Theatre, New Brighton
8 September
Bedford Corn Exchange
9 September
The Redgrave Theatre, Bristol
11 September
Regal Theatre Redruth
13 September
Watford Palace Theatre
14 September
Theatre Royal Nottingham
15 September
Palace Theatre Kilmarnock
16 September
Caird Hall - Dundee
19 September
Hull Truck Theatre
21 September
Town House Hamilton
26 September
Epic Studios Norwich
27 September
Wyllyotts Theatre, Potters Bar
28 September
Bath The Forum
3 October
Cast in Doncaster
4 October
Dorking Halls
5 October
Wycombe Swan - High Wycombe
6 October
London Indigo at the 02
7 October
Kendal Leisure Centre
10 October
Portsmouth Guildhall
11 October
Gordon Craig Theatre, Stevenage
12 October
Corn Exchange Newbury
13 October
Watersmeet Theatre, Rickmansworth
17 October
Hartlepool Town Hall
18 October
Roses Theatre Tewkesbury
19 October
Blackwood Miners Institute
20 October
The Capitol, Horsham
21 October
Walsall Arena and Arts Centre
25 October
Palace Theatre Redditch
26 October
Middleton Arena
27 October
Scarborough Spa
28 October
Stafford Gatehouse Theatre
29 October
Winding Wheel, Chesterfield
1 November
Playhouse Theatre Harlow
2 November
Beck Theatre - Hayes
3 November
Medina Theatre, Newport
4 November
Playhouse Theatre,
Weston Super Mare
9 November
The Pavilion Theatre Rhyl
10 November
Dudley Town Hall
11 November
ICC Wales, Newport
12 November
Queen’s Theatre Barnstaple
14 November
The Cresset Peterborough
15 November
Princess Royal Theatre, Port Talbot
16 November
Exeter Northcott Theatre
17 November
Alban Arena, St Albans
18 November
William Aston Hall Wrexham
20 November
Assembly Rooms Tamworth
23 November
TLT Theatre, Drogheda
24 November
Royal Theatre Castlebar
25 November
The Ulster Hall Belfast
26 November
INEC, Killarney
30 November
Charter Hall Colchester
10 December
Plymouth Pavilions
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