Harp in hand, a hot mess on stage, and laughs around every corner.
Sam Hickman’s First Woman is an inventive blend of stand-up comedy and live music, built around a simple but unusual concept: comedy performed with a harp. The show mixes storytelling, original songs and humour, creating a performance that feels distinctive, energetic and slightly chaotic in a way that largely works to its advantage.
Hickman opens by declaring herself the first woman to ever fall in love, a knowingly exaggerated premise that playfully captures the drama of romantic experience. From there, she moves into a short section about dating, recounting the chaos of modern relationships and the familiar experience of being the single friend at brunch, swapping increasingly outrageous stories à la Sex and the City, offering a humorous snapshot of dating culture before the show moves on to its wider themes.
From there, First Woman moves rapidly across a wide range of topics. Hickman reflects on expectations around motherhood, stories about friends and their children, aspects of her music career, and her experiences as a trans woman, including brief commentary on NHS transition waiting lists. The material jumps between personal memories, observational humour and musical numbers, creating something that feels more like a patchwork of stories and reflections than a single continuous narrative.
This structure gives the show a lively unpredictability, though it also means that the overall piece occasionally feels slightly scattered. It is one of those performances that feels like a work in progress: the ideas and themes are present, but they do not always fully connect. Hickman attempts to draw the strands together, yet the show would benefit from a little more narrative threading to give its many ideas a stronger sense of cohesion.
The undeniable highlight of the performance is Hickman’s musical ability. She is an accomplished harpist and an impressive vocalist, performing with a powerful soprano voice that at times leans towards an operatic style. The harp is used throughout the show both as accompaniment and as the centrepiece of several musical numbers, and the contrast between delicate harp melodies and blunt comedic punchlines creates some of the show’s most memorable moments. The overall effect sits somewhere between stand-up and musical theatre, with a tone reminiscent of Fleabag (the musical).
While the show is not strictly cabaret, it certainly leans towards that aesthetic. Hickman’s dramatic singing style, theatrical delivery and bold humour all evoke the atmosphere of cabaret performance, even as the show remains fundamentally rooted in stand-up comedy. The visual presentation supports this tone: Hickman performs in elaborate self-designed costumes, including a sparkly butterfly-adorned dress that feels playful and theatrical, followed later by a similarly themed outfit incorporating a corset and stockings. The costumes add a sense of performance and personality without overwhelming the show itself. Comedically, Hickman’s humour is knowingly crude and often very funny. Several musical numbers follow a similar structure: a serious or emotional musical build-up before abruptly landing on an explicit punchline. The device works well initially and consistently earns laughs, though its repeated use occasionally makes the jokes feel predictable. After a while, some punchlines land with a sense of familiarity rather than surprise. Nevertheless, the humour remains entertaining, and Hickman’s delivery keeps the audience engaged.
Ultimately, First Woman succeeds because of Hickman herself. Her musical talent, confident stage presence and willingness to embrace a certain chaotic energy make for an engaging performance. Even where the show’s structure still feels slightly unfinished, the strength of the performer at its centre keeps the experience enjoyable.
With a little more shaping to connect its themes more clearly, First Woman has the potential to become an even stronger piece. As it stands, it is an inventive and entertaining evening that showcases Sam Hickman as a distinctive and promising performer.
This show is on tour until 6th June.