Accessible only to him and his personal assistant - A musical about life and society in 18th-century London
When David Bowie passed away in 2016, his swan song was the album Blackstar, a work deeply influenced by his battle with cancer and his acceptance of mortality. Yet, in the final months of his life, he had also embarked on another, previously unknown project: a "musical of the 18th century," as he described it in his notes, with the title The Spectator.
Even his closest collaborators knew nothing of its existence. According to the BBC, the notes were discovered locked inside Bowie's private desk in New York, in a space accessible only to him and his personal assistant. Archivists later uncovered the material and donated it to the Victoria & Albert Museum, along with the rest of Bowie's archive, which comprises some 90,000 items.
The musical drew inspiration from The Spectator, the influential journal that published 555 issues between 1711 and 1712, commenting on London's social life and habits. In one notebook, Bowie summarized and scored essays, jotting down ideas: "This could be a good subplot," he wrote about a story featuring two sisters -- one beautiful but arrogant, the other plain yet kind-hearted.
Bowie seemed especially fascinated by London's criminal underworld of the 18th century. His notes include scenes of surgeons fighting over corpses after public executions and ideas about making the notorious thief Jack Sheppard a central character. He also referenced Jonathan Wild, the infamous "thief-taker general" responsible for Sheppard's capture and execution.
He was equally intrigued by the violent Mohock gangs, who terrorized London in 1712 by attacking unsuspecting citizens. "London at that time was an explosive, vibrant, and contradictory city," explained Oxford professor Bob Harris. "The coexistence of high and low society, virtue and crime, fascinated both contemporaries -- and, it seems, Bowie."
Bowie's notes also reveal his interest in the evolution of satire in 18th-century art, through figures like William Hogarth and Joshua Reynolds, as well as the use of musicals as political commentary against Robert Walpole's government. V&A curator Madeleine Haddon suggested that Bowie may have been drawing parallels to the present: "He may have been thinking about how art can bring about change in politically turbulent times."
The notes will be displayed at the new David Bowie Centre opening at the V&A East Storehouse in Hackney on September 13. Around 200 exhibits will be showcased, including Bowie's desk, personal items, and the Spectator notes. Haddon said the collection will inspire future generations of creators: "Bowie was a pioneer in refusing to be defined by genres or stereotypes. I hope young people will draw inspiration not only from his work but also from his creative process."