Two striking autobiographical shows are bound for the Ustinov Studio this month

The Ustinov Studio’s popular Visiting Company Season continues this month starting with Jonny Donahoe’s visit on Thursday 10th February to present Forgiveness. 

Image: Jonny Donahoe in Forgiveness

Jonny Donahoe is a Drama Desk Award nominated actor, a Lucille Lortel Award nominated writer and a Chortle Award nominated comedian. Forgiveness is his first solo show in five years, a performance about reluctant fathers, bad life choices and one very unfortunate chicken. 

Jonny does not know his Dad. He is very suddenly a Dad. Forgiveness explores how the stories we tell about our lives become the stories we live and relive, and how we can escape them and move on. Hilarious and heart-rending in equal measure, this autobiographical true story shows how despite a childhood shattered by abuse, it can be possible to reach a place of peace.

Jonny Donahoe is the co-creator and performer of the acclaimed worldwide smash Every Brilliant Thing, a show he made alongside his friend Duncan Macmillan, and performed over four hundred times across four continents, including a five month run off-Broadway. The show and Jonny’s performance at New York’s Barrow Street Theatre was made into a film for HBO.

Jonny is also known as the frontman of musical-comedy-satirists, Jonny and The Baptists, who tour regularly throughout Britain and the rest of the world. Blending comic songs, satirical stand-up and traditional theatre-making, they make funny shows about serious things like wealth inequality, the climate change crisis, and the rise of nationalism and populism.

On Tuesday 15th February, award-winning HIV+ theatre maker Nathaniel Hall - recently seen in Russell T Davies’ Channel 4 and HBO hit It’s A Sin - brings his critically acclaimed show First Time to the Ustinov Studio. A funny and fearless celebration of life and humanity which smashes through the stigma and shame of HIV, First Time was described by Broadway World as “heart-breaking, eye-opening and uplifting” in their five star review.

Image: Nathaniel Hall in First Time

Can you remember your first time? Nathaniel most certainly does and he can’t seem to forget it. To be fair, he has had it playing on repeat for the past 15 years. Now the parties are over, the balloons have all burst and he’s left living his best queer life: brunching on pills, watching daytime TV and procrastinating on Google.

Exploring the ups and downs of living with HIV since the age of 16, First Time is the funny and moving solo show written and performed by acclaimed actor, writer and HIV activist Nathaniel Hall about his personal experiences of growing up gay and HIV positive in a HIV negative world.  In the four years since its world premiere, First Time has toured across the UK, including runs at the 2019 Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the 2020 VAULT Festival in London, winning multiple awards and receiving audience and critical acclaim in equal measure. 

On creating First Time, Nathaniel Hall says: “I lived in secrecy for nearly 15 years but denying my HIV status publicly only helped to feed the narrative that HIV is something to be ashamed of. First Time marked a very public coming out as HIV+ and the show has taken me on a journey to places I never expected. I have been blown away by the public reaction to my story and feel humbled and honoured to be inspiring others to smash through the stigma of HIV.” 

Nathaniel Hall and Dibby Theatre are immensely proud of the show and its associated creative outreach projects that continue to educate, destigmatise and empower people to live boldly and with pride. Nathaniel’s activism in HIV continues after the curtain comes down through his community-led creative outreach project In Equal Parts, which has engaged over 60,000 people. His story has been seen by millions in broadcast media and print.

Tickets for both performances at the Ustinov Studio are on sale at the Theatre Royal Bath Box Office on 01225 448844 and online at www.theatreroyal.org.uk/ustinov