David Bowie's final project discovered locked in his study
6 days ago
- #V&A Museum
- #18th Century Musical
- #David Bowie
- David Bowie had a secret final project called 'The Spectator', an 18th Century musical, discovered in his locked study after his death.
- The project was unknown to even his closest collaborators and has now been donated to the V&A Museum along with the rest of Bowie's archive.
- Bowie was fascinated by 18th Century London, particularly its art, satire, criminal gangs, and notorious figures like 'Honest' Jack Sheppard.
- The musical would have fulfilled Bowie's lifelong ambition to write for theatre, as he mentioned in a 2002 BBC Radio 4 interview.
- Bowie's notes for 'The Spectator' were found pinned to the walls of his locked New York office, undisturbed until archivists catalogued his belongings.
- The notes include summaries of essays from the original 'The Spectator' periodical, with Bowie scoring them and commenting on potential subplots.
- Bowie was particularly interested in crime and punishment, envisioning scenes like public hangings and considering Jack Sheppard as a main character.
- The project also explored broader themes like the role of artists in society, political satire, and the development of musicals in 18th Century London.
- Bowie's archive, comprising 90,000 objects, will be available for public viewing at the David Bowie Centre at the V&A East Storehouse from September 13.
- The archive aims to inspire future generations of artists, showcasing Bowie's pioneering approach to creativity and his impact on popular culture.