Review: Prima Facie, NT Live
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Prima Facie is a one-woman show written by Australian playwright Suzie Miller, winning several awards down under. This is the play's London debut and has been a SMASH, particularly with Comer taking the helm. The play, with Comer, is also set to make its Broadway debut too!
It seems a bit of a "duh" scenario to make it into a NT Live production. The production team has also taking the opportunity to partner with the Schools Consent Project, a charity made up of lawyers going into schools to provide workshops all about consent and empowering young people to protect themselves. You can look at their website here: Schools Consent Project | Home
Anyway, on to the play itself.
(I don't want to give too much away, but it's going to be tricky, so bear with.)
Tessa (played by Comer) is a young, brilliant barrister living in London, having worked hard from working-class Liverpool origins all the way to the top. But an unexpected event forces her to asses the system she's been trained to believe in: where legal boundaries and ethical morals diverge.
It's an exploration of truth vs "the legal truth" in a very murky area in the criminal justice system.
It is hard, it is intense, it is graphic, it is triggering. But also one of the most powerful pieces of theatre you will possibly ever see.
Anyone who has seen the play will agree with me on that.
First off, is that the writing is TIGHT, particularly with the scenes of Tessa fighting herself on the sides of "both kinds of truth". Miller was a human rights and children's rights lawyer, and it shows. It offers a real insight into what being a barrister is like through Tessa's eyes, making her a real grounded person for us to follow.
It does offer some light-hearted one-liners too, in fact, there were some bits that made me laugh out loud. But then in comes the dark intense stuff...
Her script set up the groundwork to make Tessa a real challenge to play.
But take that tight script, add on Comer's performance, and you have something riveting.
I'm finding it hard pick a word for Comer's performance that hasn't already been used: magnetic, riveting, powerful. But I am going to try and summarise it like this: I wasn't watching Jodie Comer playing a character: I was watching Tessa.
I was watching a woman who had been humiliated and cross-examined as if she were a science experiment gather the courage to pour her heart out from frustration and the injustice of her situation.
Then in a moment of magic, the camera zooms out to reveal the first few rows of the stalls; and we see Tessa transcend the script and address us directly. It's beyond theatre; it's pure protest.
I hope Jodie is able to find time to cool off from doing that every night!
My hope from seeing this is that it sparks conversations and promotes change on a very serious topic.
I'm not just saying this as a woman and between women; it's men who need to be involved too. I saw this with my typical NT Live partner: my Dad. Yes it was a bit awkward at some points, but I knew it was an eye-opener for me too. And we had quite a fruitful discussion in the car on the way home.
There are some moment of pure magic in this, which I won't spoil further. They make you feel like you've been ripped in 2 and left with some bitter shell.
Even though the West End run has finished, I have heard a rumour that they're showing another screening soon. Double check your local cinema and GO.
If you live in or near New York, then go and support the Broadway production when it opens.
Also would recommend going if you are a Self-Esteem fan, as she did the play's music, and a performance of the track "I'm Fine" before things kicked off.
This is a play that truly sucks you in to what its trying to say. In fact it sucked me in so much I ignored most of my popcorn... and didn't realise until the end of the play until I found the bag still 3/4 full, and some pieces down my bra....
Had to end it on a lighter tone somehow....
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