A play about the late designer Alexander McQueen will open in London.

'McQueen', written by James Phillips and directed by John Caird, will hit London's St James theatre on May 12 until June 6 and explore ''the visionary imagination and dark dream world'' of the fashion icon, reports The Guardian newspaper.

The play - which is set over one night in London - follows the story of a girl who breaks into McQueen's Mayfair mansion to steal a dress leading to a chance encounter with the man himself.

The production has been inspired by the late designer's imaginative runway shows before his death by suicide in February 2010 and is billed as ''more than a bio-play... It is stepping into the fairy story landscape of McQueen's mind.''

According to James, McQueen's family is backing the play, with his sister describing it as ''true to his spirit''.

Meanwhile, his 'Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty' exhibition was recently extended to meet public demand for tickets.

The display, which is being held at London's V&A Museum, originally planned to close its doors in late July but will now run until August 2 and release another 50,000 tickets to cater to the high demand.

The exhibition will also extend its opening hours to allow for the influx of visitors.