Reviewer: Megan Hyland
Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Earlier this year, Manchester actor and activist Nathanial J Hall starred in Russell T Davies’ hit drama It’s A Sin. The series followed a group of friends as they navigated love, loss, and the 1980s AIDs epidemic, a topic that was extremely close to Hall’s heart for more reasons than one. Now, he takes to the stage solo to perform his own award-winning show, First Time.
Written and performed by Hall, First Time tells the story of his life after contracting HIV during his first time having sex. It is by far one of the most personal, emotive, and sincere performances that I personally have ever seen, and for 1 hour and 15 minutes, Hall allows us to enter his world.
It is Hall’s sparkling personality, quick wit and boundless energy that light up the stage from the moment that he begins to speak. He expertly commands the space he is given – filling the room and audience with laughter and joy; yet knowing when it is necessary to allow those quiet moments. Sometimes knowing when to pause is even more important than knowing when to speak, and Hall has mastered this art precisely. He allows the audience time to reflect with him, and with the echoes of his words heavy in our minds, those quiet moments can feel incredibly loud – allowing him to hold our attention whilst seemingly doing nothing at all.
Hall’s sparkling personality, quick wit and boundless energy light up the stage from the moment that he begins to speak.
It is this depth of communication and knowledge that allows Hall’s performance to flow masterfully. He takes us to the peak of sheer chaos – hurling baby dolls out of bins and firing silly string from between his legs – before effortlessly bringing us back to those quiet lulls exploring the recesses of his mind. Whether it’s making fun of himself or sharing his darkest moments, Hall truly holds nothing back and it is his sincerity that makes this piece truly special.
Something that felt especially significant to me is the way in which Hall manages to bring Manchester to life on the stage in a way that nobody ever has before. He reminds us of those familiar, everyday characters that we’ve all encountered in our lives; and he describes familiar places and scenes in such depth and detail that we can visualise them as though we’re there with him. His poetic storytelling and captivating sound design, coupled with Joel Clements’ lighting creates a truly striking experience for the audience that encapsulates all senses. And suddenly, we are there in that moment with Hall, whether it is familiar to us or not. It is the smallest details – the sound of rain in Sackville Gardens coupled with a light-up umbrella and dozens of candles – that takes Hall’s ability to set the scene one magnificent leap further, and drives home the message that this is still happening. Every day, people are being diagnosed with HIV and learning how their lives will change as a result, and it’s happening in Manchester too.
Nathanial J Hall takes us on a journey like no other.
The chronology of Hall’s storytelling and the nuances of his performance allow us to watch his life unfold before us from the moment that it changed forever to now. Using little more than music from each year; changes of clothes; and his astounding performance skills, Nathanial J Hall takes us on a journey like no other.
He puts the audience at ease and reminds us that not everything has to be so serious. We can have an open and honest conversation about even the most serious of topics and still have a laugh whilst doing it, which is something to keep in mind on a day such as today.
Wednesday 1st December 2021 marks World AIDs Day, an international day to raise awareness of the AIDs epidemic and to mourn the lives of those lost to AIDs, a condition caused by HIV. Fortunately, the transition of HIV to AIDs is now preventable due to advances in medication and people that are HIV positive can now take medication to prevent passing HIV to a partner.
First Time is a beautiful reminder of just how far we’ve come, but also a reminder of how far we have yet to go.
What I want to stress about First Time is that it is not the story of a man’s life destroyed by HIV. However, it’s also not not that. First Time is a beautiful reminder of just how far we’ve come, but also a reminder of how far we have yet to go. Because while we are so fortunate that HIV is no longer a death sentence, there is still work to be done – around education; around the damaging psychological effects of an HIV diagnosis; and around smashing the stigma associated with HIV. But so long as HIV-positive creatives, activists, public figures and humans like Nathanial J Hall keep speaking up and sharing their stories, there is hope and there is strength to be found.
-Megan Hyland
First Time runs at Contact until Saturday 4 December 2021.