This Moment with You

A solo by and starring Frans Poelstra

All his life, actor Frans Poelstra has pretended to be a dancer. Now, at 72, he’s too old to play a dancer—but still far too young to leave the stage. In his latest solo performance, “This Moment with You,” he breaks away from traditional theatrical roles. In the here and now, he wants to be just one thing: Frans. Authentic, real, and in direct interaction with his audience.

Starting from a whimsical “memory palace” on stage—filled with tied-up surprise packages, old props, and absurd objects—Poelstra delves into his memories and invents new stories. In doing so, he navigates subtly between fact and fiction. Amid this apparent lightheartedness, however, the play raises a deeply relevant question: Is it even possible to be a rebel in the theater anymore? No matter how much he talks, he finds himself doubting more and more often whether words still have any impact at all in these chaotic times.

With dry humor, charm, thoughtful seriousness, and a playful flirtation with his own age, Poelstra captivates the audience. In the end, the stage remains what it has always been for him: his entire personal world, where he can reflect, create, and simply be himself.

By and starring: Frans Poelstra
Text & Dramaturgy: Robert Steijn
Artistic Collaboration: Anna Mendelssohn

Language: English

A co-production by Frans Poelstra and brut Wien

Supported by the City of Vienna’s Department of Culture (MA 7) and the Federal Ministry of Housing, Arts, Culture, Media, and Sports (BMKWMS)

 

(We have our texts translated by DeepL)