Prima Facie

Prima Facie (National Theatre)

TRIGGER WARNING: THIS REVIEW WILL ATTEMPT NOT TO SPOIL THE FEATURE, BUT I WILL BE TALKING AT LENGTH ABOUT RAPE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT AS ITS PIVOTAL TO THE STORY. AND DOMESTIC ABUSE. 

Set within the UK court system, Prima Facie is a piece that shows how justice and law can both clash and coincide. It’s not a list of the statistics for sexual assault and rape cases, how few get prosecuted, how even less within that reach a conviction. Nor is it about the space and ethics lawyers must cultivate to work in law. The letter of it. It’s about the reality of abuse and experience and how often people don’t go through all the hurdles of prosecution for the re-traumatising effect it can have. It humanises the reality of this life in a way that moves anyone watching it beyond the tutting and eye rolls and notion that something should be done; it’s unfortunate. 

I’m a man—a 48-year-old heterosexual man. Honestly, I have everything going for me to switch off. Let Jody sing and dance, cry and scream, eat sandwiches, relate everything, and go there at the end of the piece. That never happened for an instant.

Tess is a highly relatable example of show, not tell. The working-class family has a strong sense of success; working hard plays the ethic of someone looking for this job. Even their cliche avocado uber life of her… it’s thrilling and funny and frankly shows that the nerdy dancing of legal has not moved on since ‘This Life’, but it’s passionate and compassionate at each point. There is no need to see what drove her to law; it’s there. On the screen and in her presence. And passion.

The abuse not just of her body but also of her trust, her esteem, and her position is both lightning-fast and lingering. It’s the swift turn I saw with my own eyes at uni. I levied with an abusive man; he mistreated his girlfriend and was predatory on several levels. I’d love to say how I was an ally or sought help, but frankly, I was intimidated, found what services there were lacking, and scared for my physical safety in the midst of it all. I also regret everything: my anger at her denial, feeling helpless and still raw to this day. It all came to my fore when watching this. I was a bystander, not a victim or survivor.

The play masterfully presents the reality of the non-due process, the natural responses to the situation, and the role of courts and prosecutions. These elements intertwine, compelling the audience to be captivated by Jody’s charisma and struggle. The play prompts deep reflection on what it means to be a centred woman like Jody was at the start, leaving the audience intellectually stimulated. 

The direction works wonders, while Tess moves the desks and minimal staging, heightened by a tremendous score and lighting. The film, as both a legal drama and a social reality, expands on the big screen, right down to the inclusion of the audience during the final moments, where their reactions and emotions become part of the narrative. 

Prima Facie is not an easy feature. It swiftly turns brutal, unapologetic, visceral, and ugly at points, evoking a range of strong emotions. The play does not shy away from depicting the harsh realities of abuse and the legal system, which can be confronting. However, these are all external; the reality of bravery and tragedy keeps the audience deeply engaged and moved throughout. 

In closing, I think it would wash for many, not from the indifference I imply from men, but instead that we live in challenging times; many women would feel this is telling them something they already know…and, as such… don’t need it. That suspicion, my suspicion as a man—a straight man, a 48-year-old man—is chilling, but I think it needs to be seen for others.