First Time (NHB Modern Plays)

Can you remember your first time?

In this hilarious and heartbreaking true story, theatre-maker and activist Nathaniel Hall can’t seem to forget his. To be fair, he’s had it playing on repeat for the last fifteen years… but now he’s ready to lift the lid on his life-changing secret.

First presented by Dibby Theatre and Waterside Arts, First Time went on to critical and audience acclaim on tour of the UK and at the 2019 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. It smashes through the stigma and shame of HIV, to present an uplifting and inspirational guide to staying positive in a negative world.

This edition features the full script of First Time, alongside extensive material about HIV/AIDS and the themes and issues explored in the play, including several workshop plans which can be used with students and community groups.

Nathaniel J. Hall is a theatremaker and HIV activist. He is co-artistic director of Dibby Theatre. He has delivered projects for Contact Theatre, the Royal Exchange Theatre, 20 Stories High, Wellcome, Trans Creative, Manchester Pride, George House Trust, the LGBT Foundation, and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust. His plays include Toxic (Dibby Theatre tour, 2025), and First Time (Dibby Theatre and Waterside Arts, Manchester, 2018; Edinburgh Fringe Festival, 2019).

Nathaniel has lived with HIV since the age of sixteen and is a prominent voice in HIV activism, having told his personal story across many platforms, including on BBC Radio and BBC News, MTV UK, Buzzfeed UK and Attitude magazine. He advocates for better representation of LGBTQ+ and HIV+ actors across the industry.