Prima Facie
19 April 2022
Harold Pinter Theatre
5.0 out of 5.0 stars
Prima Facie came highly recommended by friends, and I am in utter agreement with them, this show is absolutely stunning.
This solo actor play is deeply touching, leaving a palpable impact on viewers.
Jodie Comer plays Tessa, who has worked her way up from working class roots to become a well known and respected barrister. She trusts the law and legal system deeply and uses every trick in the book to defend her clients and put witnesses into compromising positions on the stand, while insisting that the law is built so solidly, that surely anyone tripped up in court only has themselves to blame.
Until one day, a significant event changes everything, leaving her to become a witness in court herself and realising that the system doesn’t cater to the human experience as well as she believed, shaking her to her core.
The play is so riveting, despite it being 100 minutes of just one actor on stage, there isn’t a second the audience isn’t completely and utterly engrossed. Jodie Comer commands attention on stage with every movement, every word, every gesture, every breath. She fully takes the space and roots each and every audience member in their seat.
As if speaking to her closest friend, Tessa narrates her own experience, her thoughts and doubts, her convictions and disillusions. Comer beautifully crafts a believable character, taking the audience through highs and lows and startling realisations.
Prima Facie is a very timely and important play that is deeply touching and so meaningful.