Prima Facie
The Play
Suzie Miller’s award-winning monologue places Tessa, a successful criminal defense lawyer, at the center of a riveting narrative. Skilled at defending men accused of sexual assault, she navigates the courtroom with precision and strategy. When she becomes a victim herself, her perspective shifts, revealing the profound imbalance in a justice system built on entrenched norms and conventions. The play juxtaposes legal reasoning with personal trauma, combining stark, intimate staging and compelling storytelling to immerse the audience in the tension between authority, vulnerability, and truth.
PRIMA FACIE
Landestheater Linz
Premiered on 06th October 2023
Landestheater, Linz, Schauspielhaus, Austria
Duration 90 minutes
Director Peter Wittenberg
Dramaturgy Wiebke Melle
Set Design Florian Parbs
Costume Design Marie-Luise Lichtenthal
Sound Design Hodei Iriarte Kaperotxipi
Tessa Lorena Emmi Mayer
Stage Manager Christian Bauer
Direction Assistant Anna-Katharina Wurz
Stage Design Assistant Katja Bozic
Costume Design Assistant Katja Bozic
Photography Petra Moser
Video Editing Jonatan Salgado Romero
Music Hodei Iriarte Kaperotxipi
© Petra Moser
© Petra Moser
© Petra Moser
Societal Relevance
Since its premiere in Australia in 2019 and the 2022 live broadcast from London’s National Theatre to over 300,000 viewers, Prima Facie has resonated as a critique of systemic flaws in the justice system. The play reflects contemporary debates on gender, power, and empathy, questioning whether legal institutions can truly respond to the experiences of survivors of sexualized violence.
Dramaturgy
The dramaturgy of Prima Facie emphasizes the solo performance, allowing Tessa’s voice to guide the audience through courtroom arguments, personal reflection, and emotional upheaval. The monologue’s timing, pacing, and modulation highlight the contrast between professional control and lived experience, creating a space where the audience confronts the fragility of justice and the subjectivity of truth.
