A Dandy in the Underworld is a new play that deals with the unconventional and sometimes controversial life of Sebastian Horsley. Somewhat ironically, though very unfortunate and tragically, Horsley died on Thursday June 17 at the age of 47. The timing of his death was bizarrely close to the opening of the new play at the Soho Theatre in London. The play was written and directed by Tim Fountain and the script is based on the autobiographical book by Horsley. The show stars Milo Tworney as Horsley. This is just one of the cutting edge performances that is onstage in London, though it may be one of the most temporally significant. The show opened on June 9 and is scheduled to run through July 10. Ticket sales have gained greater interest following the death of Horsley, which is a standard result of an artist’s death, and people who are interested in seeing the play should make their reservations as early as possible.

If you’re visiting England and staying in a London hotel the front desk is generally a solid resource for finding information on this and other plays. Dandy in the Underworld makes a solid effort at drawing out Horsley’s lifestyle and including much of the unconventional aspects without sensationalizing or even glorifying them. It is definitely entertaining and interesting, though the play was obviously not written or produced for shock value. Soho Theatre is known for producing the latest cutting edge and sometimes experimental shows and the rest of the season may not be as immediately news captivating, though it promises quality productions and thought provoking entertainment. The play that is scheduled to open after Dandy closes next month is titled Third Person: Bonnie & Clyde Redux. This is another production that deals with actual personalities and life experience situations, though the inspirations behind the title characters have no chance of dieing anywhere near opening night.

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