Winner of the venues north Edinburgh Fringe Award 2019
vault pick of summerhall festival 2019
BEST shows at Edinburgh Fringe 2019 - the Stage
"Packs an emotional punch"
"A heart-on-sleeve crowd-pleasing show"
"A remarkable story of triumph"
Russell T Davies
"Moving and educational"
"Compelling, motivating, triumphant"
"One hell of a ride"
Northern Soul
"An autobiographical masterpiece"
"Messy, funny, heartbreaking"
Within Her Words
"Direct from the heart"
"Captivating, life-affirming"
"Raw, autobiographical passion"
"Captivating"
"A must see"
"Hope is the beating heart"
"Heartbreaking and uplifting"
"Captivating"
"Universal and deeply moving"
Attitude
"Powerful and passionate"
"Gentle and measured"
"Razor sharp"
"Tender and real"
Written and Performed by Nathaniel Hall
Directed by Chris Hoyle
Designed by Irene Jade
Presented with Dibby Theatre and Waterside Arts
Image and title design: Lee Baxter
Can you remember your first time?... Nathaniel can’t seem to forget his.
To be fair, he has had it playing on repeat for the last 15 years.
Now the party is over, the balloons have all burst and he’s left living his best queer life: brunching on pills and Googling kangaroo vaginas, ancient condoms and human cesspits on a weekday morning… or is he?
Fresh from the Edinburgh Fringe, award-winning HIV+ theatre-maker, Nathaniel Hall presents a 'hilarious' and 'heart breaking' autobiographical solo-show about attempting to stay positive in a negative world.
Join him as he blows the lid on the secret he’s been keeping all these years.
Press
'The first time I had sex at 16 I contracted HIV - but it was the stigma, not the virus, that took me to breaking point.'
​
'Edinburgh Festival Fringe performer's show about contracting HIV from his first sexual encounter.'
​
'The first time I had sex I contracted HIV'
BBC News Online
'This Man Became HIV+ Aged 16 When He Lost His Virginity. So He Wrote a Play About It.'
Buzzfeed News
'What I learned after acquiring HIV at 16 from the first man I had sex with'
Gay Star News
'I contracted HIV from my first sexual experience when I was little more than a child'
I Online
Television Interviews
BBC Breakfast & Granada Reports
'I got HIV the first time I had sex'
Manchester Evening News
Dates available for Spring 2021
In equal parts
In Equal Parts is an outreach project developed and delivered alongside First Time.
​
It aims to educate everybody - regardless of HIV status - on modern HIV healthcare and prevention, destigmatise attitudes to the virus and empower people to understand their role in contributing to the UNAIDS goal of ending all new HIV transmissions by 2030.
The original production of First Time was presented alongside a community led, collaborative exhibition delivered by Jessica Loveday which commemorated the 30th World AIDS Day and was experienced by 4,000 people. The show was also accompanied by 2 post-show discussions, rapid HIV testing and a party to raise funds for local HIV support organisations.
