Performance artist Clayton Lee entangles classical music (Johann Sebastian Bach) and professional wrestling (Bill Goldberg) with an unfiltered exploration of queer desire and fantasy (his own).

In an unapologetic investigation of power dynamics and identity, Lee invites the audience to take a ringside seat for an intimate reckoning of his sexual and romantic history. With deadpan humour and mischievous wit, Lee explores his childhood obsession with the professional wrestler Bill Goldberg and its lasting impact on him.

Loosely set to Bach’s enigmatic Goldberg Variations, this unconventional performance evolves each time it’s performed. Desires are indulged and deconstructed. Fantasies are conjured and manifested. The Goldberg Variations takes audiences on a reckless, tender, and at times unhinged deep-dive into the tensions between dominance, submission, heartbreak, and vulnerability.

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Canada Council

Photo: Kenneth Koo