Overview
Synopsis
Prima Facie: a Latin legal term meaning 'on the face of it'.
In this powerful one-woman play, we meet Tessa, a criminal defense lawyer who is at the top of her game. She lives for the game of the law and excels in cross-examination, seeking out the shadows of doubt in every case. Having worked her way up from a working-class background, her star is shining bright. However, everything changes when Tessa finds herself on the other side of the courtroom. Tessa is raped by her colleague, another well-respected barrister who appears to be the epitome of respectability. The assault forces Tessa to confront the lines where the patriarchal power of the law, burden of proof and morals diverge. Having invested her life and whole belief system into the law, will it support Tessa when she needs it?
Show Information
- Book
- Suzie Miller
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Mature Audiences (M)
- Number of Acts
- 1
- First Produced
- 2019
- Genres
- Drama
- Settings
- Contemporary, Unit/Single Set
- Time & Place
- Legal Chambers, Present Day
- Cast Size
- small
- Licensor
- Nick Hern Book
- Ideal For
- Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Star Vehicle Female, College/University, All-Female Cast, Includes Adult Characters, Small Cast
Context
The ideas behind Prima Facie were born out of Suzie Miller’s years of practicing as a human rights and criminal defense lawyer. Innocent until proven guilty’ is the bedrock of human rights, but she began to feel that its application in sexual assault cases served to undermine rather than to uphold any real fairness. Prima Facie premiered in 2019, at Sydney's Stables Theatre. It won the 2020 AWGIE Award for Drama and the 2020 Major AWGIE Award from the Australian Writers' Guild. This
to read the context for Prima Facie and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
Part One
Scene One: Thoroughbreds
Tessa describes the experience of being a defense barrister in a courtroom. She vividly describes how all the lawyers are poised and ready, like horses at the start of a race. She then details how approaches the prosecution’s witness, letting them think that they have the upper-hand and she is simply a dumb, female lawyer. However, once she has let their confidence spill over, she swiftly turns on them to trap them with their own admissions. It is a
to read the plot for Prima Facie and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Female |
Non-singer |
Songs
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
A speech given by a character.
A play with only one act. One-act plays may have several scenes and vary in length, from short single scenes to full-length scripts.
The belief that the social benefits and privileges of a society ought to be divided fairly.
Videos
Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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Guide Written By:
Alexandra Appleton
Writer, editor and theatre researcher