Nearly a decade after his passing, David Bowie is still surprising fans. Notes discovered in his London studio reveal he had been developing an original musical set in 18th-century London, with the working title The Spectator.
The newly unearthed project, believed to be one of Bowie’s last creative undertakings before his death in 2016, will be displayed publicly for the first time at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London.
From Studio Notes to Museum Exhibit
The handwritten materials include a blue-ringed notebook and several Post-it notes filled with ideas, characters, and dramaturgical sketches. These notes were kept private for years by Bowie’s closest collaborators but have now been donated to the V&A Museum.
They will form part of the David Bowie Centre for the Study of Performing Arts, opening on September 13, 2025 at the V&A East Storehouse in Hackney Wick. Alongside the musical notes, more than 90,000 items from Bowie’s estate—including costumes, instruments, set designs, and photographs—will be showcased.
According to the curators, the archive offers “a rare look into the creative process of a musical innovator, cultural icon, and champion of self-expression and reinvention.”
The Spectator: London’s Dark & Vibrant Past
The Spectator was envisioned as a theatrical exploration of London’s 18th-century underworld. Bowie’s notes reference gangs, the city’s booming artistic scene, and the notorious outlaw Jack Sheppard, nicknamed “Honest Jack,” who was hanged in 1724 and immortalized in countless ballads and stage plays.
The title itself was drawn from The Spectator, the influential newspaper published in 1711–1712 that captured the eccentricities, fashions, and moral debates of the era.
As historian Bob Harris explained to the BBC, “London at that time was an exciting, vibrant, and diverse city. It was the largest in Western Europe, home to more than half a million people, and supported a lively press that constantly commented on the trends and follies of the age.”
Bowie’s Legacy of Reinvention
Though The Spectator was never completed, its discovery underscores Bowie’s insatiable creativity and his enduring fascination with history, performance, and storytelling. From Ziggy Stardust to Lazarus, Bowie continually pushed boundaries—making this unfinished musical another piece of his remarkable artistic legacy.
For fans, September 2025 will be a rare opportunity to glimpse Bowie’s final unwritten act.
