"Debauchery of elite young men, involving heavy drinking followed by street violence, was to be the backdrop of a theatrical production inspired by 18th-century London, as envisioned in David Bowie's secret project"
New David Bowie Centre at V&A East Storehouse to Unveil Unfinished Musical "The Spectator"
David Bowie's office, following his untimely passing in early 2016, has revealed a trove of details about an unfinished project. The V&A Museum in London has been fortunate enough to acquire these findings and will be showcasing them at the upcoming David Bowie Centre, set to open on September 13 at the V&A East Storehouse in Hackney Wick.
The project in question is a musical titled "The Spectator," set in 18th-century London — a city teeming with juxtapositions between high and low, and between the virtuous and the criminal. The title is a nod to an early 18th-century periodical that commented on the comings and goings of polite London society.
Bowie, who had a long-held yearning to write for the theatre, had devoted extensive preparatory research for this project. He was particularly intrigued by the crime and punishment of that era, envisioning a public hanging with surgeons fighting over corpses. One of the main characters was to be Jack Sheppard, a petty thief who became a public hero. Another potential focus was the Mohocks, a group of young men of high social status who attacked people on the streets of London.
Professor Bob Harris, an 18th-century expert at Oxford University, describes the Mohocks as "young men of high social status who got drunk in the evening and attacked people on the streets of London, often women, sometimes elderly Watchmen."
Bowie himself had planned to play the role of the main character in "The Spectator" before its release. This revelation adds a poignant touch to the unfinished work, as it was to be a deeply personal project for the iconic artist.
The opening of the V&A's Bowie Centre provides an opportunity to speculate on what "The Spectator" could have become. Many of Bowie's projects were left uncompleted throughout his career, and this musical is no exception. However, fans can fill in an online form to view objects related to the project and gain insights into the projects that were left unfinished in Bowie's career.
Bowie's last public appearance was at the opening night of the off-Broadway production of Lazarus in December 2015. The new David Bowie Centre at V&A East Storehouse in Hackney Wick will offer a glimpse into the mind of this innovative artist and the projects he left behind.
