An unhinged dive into power dynamics, sexual desire, and vulnerability that entangles queer sexuality with classical music and professional wrestling.

What are the blueprints of sexual desire and fantasy? In this unapologetic investigation of power dynamics and identity, Clayton Lee invites the audience to confront that very question through an intimate and unfiltered reckoning of his sexual and romantic history.

With deadpan humor and mischievous wit, Lee explores his childhood obsession with the professional wrestler Bill Goldberg and its lasting impact on him. Entangling queer diasporic sexuality and Bach’s classical compositions, this ever-evolving piece sets an unexpectedly tender stage where desires are both indulged and deconstructed, and the perplexing crossroads between dominance, submission, heartbreak and vulnerability are laid bare.

At times unhinged, and always deeply personal, Lee takes audiences through the fixations and speculations of sexual fantasy in a candid and thoroughly unconventional performance.

Photo Credit: Kenneth Koo

About the Artist

Clayton Lee(he/him)

Clayton Lee

he/him

Clayton Lee (he/him) is a Canadian curator, producer, and performance artist. Clayton is the Artistic Director of Fierce Festival in Birmingham, UK. Clayton was the Director of the Rhubarb Festival – Canada’s longest-running festival of new and experimental performance – at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre from 2019 to 2023. His performance projects have been presented in venues across Canada, the United States, the UK, and New Zealand. He was one of the Art Gallery of Ontario’s Artists-in-Residence in 2023. As part of the Living Room Collective, he represented Canada at the 2025 Venice Biennale of Architecture.

Artist page →

CREDITS

Clayton Lee | Creator and Performer

The Goldberg Variations

September 17-19, 2026
Thursday, September 17 | 7:30pm¹
Friday, September 18 | 7:30pm¹
Saturday, September 19 | 7:30pm¹

Masked seating section available for all shows
¹ Post-show Talkback on all show nights

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