Theatre Review: National Theatre Live: Prima Facie

Trigger warning: Includes sensitive subject matter including reference to sex, violence and rape

‘I am here in a unique position. Usually I stand at the bar, but now I am in this courtroom as a witness, a complainant, a victim’, a visibly stirred Jodie Comer proclaims to the intimate audience of the West End’s Harold Pinter Theatre, inhabiting the role of Defence barrister Tessa in Suzie Miller’s one-woman play Prima Facie. The production premiered in Sydney, Australia in 2019 and made its West end debut in April 2022. It is now being broadcast for a second time by National Theatre Live until December 2024.

The play details Tessa’s rise to power within her courtroom through her utilisation of the justice system and what it deemed ‘legal truth’ (the version of events which best fits the evidence provided), and, in a turn of events, highlights the legal struggles victims of sexual assault suffer in the pursuit of justice. Prima Facie boasts both fast paced prose to depict the racing thought process of a defence barrister and the intense monologues of a victim who refuses to be broken (highlighted through her continued emphasis that ‘This is me’), facilitated through the testimony of a single woman. Portraying both victim and perpetrator, defendant and defence, judge and jury. This allows for an electric performance, which regularly changes time and place between before and after the event. Yet relies on an extraordinarily limited set, of a desk, chairs and case files to tell the entire story, requiring strength of characterisation. Furthermore, with no interval (bar a one-minute interlude during a physical rainstorm on stage) and a viewing capacity of just over 800 people, the play has an ephemeral quality to it. With the capacity to portray intense scenes with grace and decorum whilst emphasising the strength of Comer’s performance.

Comer’s performance in Prima Facie is truly awe-inspiring

The utilisation of costume is simple yet effective throughout. Relying on a pink shirt (representative of the internal biases towards women in law and their capacity to be taken seriously), summer clothes in a rainstorm (to present the protagonists incongruence and vulnerability within her setting), and the choice to portray the protagonist barefoot in the play’s second half (again demonstrative of her vulnerability and loss of power within her courtroom) to insinuate relationships and power dynamics, between Tessa and those around her. These other characters are not portrayed by actors but rather Tessa’s testimony, giving Tessa full control over the telling of her story: something rarely given to women in instances of sexual assault.

The play is atmospherically sound-tracked by the vocal talents of British musician Rebecca Taylor, also known under the stage name of Self Esteem, providing almost operatic accompaniment to pivotal moments of the play. Taylor further created an accompanying music video as part of her 2021 album Prioritise Pleasure, shot in the Harold Pinter theatre. Touching upon societal experiences with unwanted sexual advances, commenting ‘if we are approached by a group of men, we will bark like dogs. People always laugh at it and they’re like ‘ha-ha that’s so funny’ but there is nothing that terrifies a man more than a woman that appears deranged’.

the play has… the capacity to portray intense scenes with grace and decorum

Prima Facie’s scope for cultural influence expands further through the play’s partnership with the Schools Consent Project (SCP). The charity educates young people using the legalities surrounding consent and sexual assault. ‘By adopting a legal approach, SCP are able to address subjects that can feel challenging, sensitive or taboo […] enabling them to fully understand the law around sex and consent in order to make informed and sensible decisions’ [1]. This education is sorely needed, as the World Health Organisation indicates that globally one in three women are subjected to sexual violence in their lifetime. In Tessa’s words, ‘all I know is that somewhere. Somehow. Something has to change.’

Ultimately, Comer’s performance in Prima Facie is truly awe-inspiring, stylistically sophisticated and emotionally charged. Allowing the legal process surrounding sexual assault to be illuminated from the perspective of both victim and the defence. She highlights the laws inability to effectively provide justice to victims due to its very nature. Prima Facie should arguably be considered for the status of a modern classic. Comer thoroughly deserves the Tony award she received in 2023 for the role, as her characterisation and dedication to the role is truly extraordinary.