Review: National Theatre Live, Prima Facie
What happens when a top lawyer becomes a victim in the very kind of case she has been defending? That is the question explored in Suzy Miller’s blistering new play on the West End, starring Killing Eve’s Jodie Comer.
In this one-woman production we meet Tessa Ensler, a young and cock-sure barrister who has risen from humble beginnings to become one of the most promising criminal defence barristers of her generation. In her chambers,against a backdrop of walls filled with files, Tessa energetically describes the thrill, the game of the courtroom, and the tactics she employs during a cross-examination. But don’t be fooled into thinking she doesn’t take this seriously, because Tessa truly trusts in the power of the law: all she needs to do is present her client’s story in the best way possible, she says, and justice will prevail.
Outside of work, Tessa visits her family — who don’t quite know how to express their pride — and goes out for drinks with her colleagues from chambers. It’s here that a flirtation starts with fellow barrister Julian, a private-school man who does pro bono work in his spare time. After hooking up one night in his office, they decide to start over and go on a proper date. All goes better than she could have imagined, as Tessa breathlessly informs us, until she wakes in the night, still inebriated and vomiting. Julian brings her back to the bedroom and this charming colleague with boyfriend potential turns sexual predator as he assaults her, ignoring her protests. Shocked and violated, Tessa turns to the criminal justice system for help, discovering what the ‘game’ is truly like when played from the other side.
Comer gives an utterly compelling performance as Tessa, whose casual costume changes and rearranging of furniture brings frenetic energy that keeps the single-setting monologue from getting old. Watching as Tessa loses her faith in the law, the system that she has perpetuated for so long, is as fascinating as it is harrowing. We see the frustrations of a system not designed for such cases, the emotional toll of the burden of proof, and the clichéd references to her alcohol level and reputation of the attacker. Tessa loses and then finds her voice again in a spine-tingling courtroom scene, more than two years after the night in question. In her barnstorming finale speech, she makes the case for a system desperately in need of change, and a stunning lighting device illustrates the scale of the problem perfectly. As Tessa silently returns her case file to the shelf, it is illuminated against the dark background. Little by little, more files are lit up until almost the entire wall is illuminated, leaving us with a sobering visual message.
Although the subject matter is difficult to endure, this is a highly educational piece that is made larger than life by its star Comer, who is quickly proving to be, like Tessa herself, a major talent of her generation. The production has partnered with the Schools Consent Project, who visit schools to educate children about consent and safe sexual relationships, ultimately to reduce the chances of future assault. As Tessa herself says, “Look to your left…look to your right…it’s one of us.”
Prima Facie is playing at the Harold Pinter theatre in London and was broadcast in cinemas by National Theatre Live. Find out more at https://primafacieplay.com/
*****
