The NUT examines masculinity

With the summer theatre performance Dance, Man, Dance, The NUT explores what masculinity can be - at a time when it seems more needed than ever.

We live in a time when masculinity is questioned from all sides and is under a magnifying glass. The male loneliness crisis shows that more and more men feel socially isolated and struggle to connect. The manosphere offers them a toxic response: getting tough, claiming dominance. At the same time, there is a counter voice, and more and more men are looking for a different story; one that is not about stoicism and dominance, but about contact, freedom and honesty. Dance, Man, Dance lands exactly in this area of tension. It is not a performance that gives answers, but one that dares to ask: what can masculinity be, if we no longer pin it down to one form?
The construction site as a dance floor

Theatre-makers Lars Brinkman and Greg Nottrot are each other's opposites. Greg is afraid to dance and Lars is afraid of men. Lars steps into an abandoned construction site as his extravagant and colourful drag alter ego Lola Tuthola Lollipop, where she confronts five construction workers. Together with the men, who use their bodies functionally day in, day out, she embarks on an experiment: can you break free from ingrained ideas about ‘the man’ through dance?

Duet and duel

Based on Lars' own experiences of street harassment and other forms of queer and homophobia, a thriller-style nightmare unfolds on the floor. The men search for ways to deal with their fears. Through fantasy, they are transformed into lip-syncs, elegant choreography and theatrical acts.

What begins as a clash unfolds into a blistering play about desire, expectation and the question of what a man can be. There is fighting and reconciliation, dreaming and dancing.

From construction site to temporary oasis

From 4 June 2026, Dance, Man, Dance can be seen at a construction site in Leidsche Rijn in Utrecht that has been transformed into a festival site. The official premiere is on 5 June. Traditionally, Het NUT makes it a complete summer evening: visitors start with a dinner, followed by the performance and additional programme.

Dance, Man, Dance is for everyone: male, female, non-binary, queer, straight, old or young. The themes touch everyone who thinks about how we live together and what expectations we - consciously or unconsciously - impose on each other.

Practical information

Play dates: 4 to 28 June 2026, every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday
Location: MARK construction site, Stockholmstraat 1, Utrecht Leidsche Rijn
Start: 6pm (including dinner)
Age: For everyone
Tickets and playlist: het-nut.co.uk/performances/dancemandans

Credits

Text: Lars Brinkman
Final direction: Jef Van gestel
Play: Greg Nottrot and Lars Brinkman, Tom van Dam, Jeroen Niemans, Swen Waterreus, Jeroen Kuijpers, Ben Bruin, Victor Hijl, Daniel Bentveld and Robert Beckand
Choreographer: Arne Luiting
Lighting design: Robin van den Berg
Costumes: Jacob Kok
Sound and music: Judith Rijsenbrij
Campaign image photography: Lin Woldendorp