XXX Live Nude Girls: a misadventure

Toronto: XXX Live Nude Girls is a ‘Doll Opera’ by Jennifer Walshe and is part of this year's SummrerWorks Festival. It stars a collection of well used Barbie Dolls and features two vocal performers, a quartet of musicians, two camera operators, and two real-time video projections. It is bound to be one of the most unique if also convoluted shows at this year’s festival.

Those expecting an even remotely conventional opera where song and melody are the principle means of communication will be sorely disappointed. Although the performers are all carefully choreographed under the dictatorial timing of synchronized stop watches, it is almost without purpose given that all the performance elements, both visual and auditory, seem to fight for attention rather than work with any sense of unison.

Even technical issues, such as the all-too-important but far-too-tiny subtitles hinder what little story does underline the piece. There is something disturbingly contemplative about the show's final moments but not enough to redeem the piece. The creators deserve kudos for being so adventurous even if the end result is more of a misadventure.