A woman experiences an assault. Her life spirals. The legal system slows and stops.
Dolly is a highly compelling multimedia show, following a woman who experiences a series of assaults, culminating in the worst of all, rape. She replays the moments before repeatedly; speaking with her assigned psychiatrist, the police, giving her testimony, speaking with her boyfriend….
The structure of the play is extremely effective, framing first as standup comedy, which comes back up as the show continues. What was particularly compelling was the choice to use live video and pre-recorded audio throughout, creating a detachment from her own story. The video backdrop was at times chilling, separating her body from her self — creating a beautiful rift of seeing the body in front of us as a real person whilst simultaneously seeing the body as object, in parts, and at times through the use of actual dolls.
This is not an easy watch, but certainly an impressive performance, and a brilliantly cohesive production that tackles a challenging subject well, and leverages a high degree of theatricality to achieve this.