Review: Prima Facie

Review

Review: Prima Facie

Courtesy of National Theatre

Mega-talented Liverpool-born actress Jodie Comer (Killing Eve) made a stunning West End debut earlier this year in the Harold Pinter Theatre’s production of this astonishing one-woman show, written by Suzie Miller. The multi-award winning production will be moving to Broadway in 2023, but is presently available to view at cinemas throughout the UK. I was fortunate enough to see a performance at the Uckfield Picture House in East Sussex, on a rainy afternoon not too long ago.

The play was commissioned by a small legal charity which provides workshops to secondary schools and youth groups to help adolescents understand legal definitions of consent and assault. The Schools Consent Project was established in 2014 by barrister Kate Parker, who is said to have inspired the main character. Tickets to the show have been given away free to partner school groups working with the Schools Consent Project and the production has also donated money from ticket sales and raised funds by including information about the charity’s important work with young people in their publicity materials and programmes. It’s fantastic to see a partnership between the arts and legal training for young people. Comer emphasises the importance of this conversation: “The Schools Consent Project is something that I wish had been available to my friends and me growing up. It’s crucial that we include younger people … it’s an honour to be able to partner with this great initiative.”

The play tells the story of a talented, young barrister called Tessa who grew up in a working-class home in Liverpool. She works in criminal defence, specialising in rape trials, and her career trajectory has propelled her to the top of her profession. She often finds herself cross examining rape victims, tearing apart their versions of events as little more than an intellectual exercise. However, when she is a victim of sexual assault, she finds herself on the other side of the justice system and it is a cruel awakening.

Although I found the plot slightly contrived, it certainly packs a strong punch as the audience first glimpses the workings of a brilliant mind before plumbing the depths of Tessa’s soul in tragic circumstances. Comer’s range is breath-taking, and she commands the stage for almost two hours without any break, playing not only Tessa, but also other minor characters. Her accent adjusts as she travels on the train from Euston to Liverpool and another Tessa emerges in scenes with her family at home. She is responsible for all scene changes, moving furniture and props with what seems like effortless grace.

I was left with a sense of awed respect for such mastery of thespian arts and a broken heart for the injustices caused by a lack of understanding of the meaning of consent, even amongst the brightest of individuals. This is an issue which can affect anyone at any time and it has been portrayed in Prima Facie with virtuoso skill. Please see this outstanding performance at a local cinema if you can.

Jordan Lancaster