PRIMA FACIE Opens in Melbourne This Weekend

The original Australian production of Prima Facie by Suzie Miller (RBG: Of Many, One) - which went on to inspire a sold-out West End and upcoming Broadway season - finally arrives in Melbourne, opening on Saturday 11 February at Arts Centre Melbourne.

This one-woman powerhouse performance tells the story of a powerful defence lawyer who learns firsthand how unfit for purpose the legal system is for victims of sexual assault. Prima Facie is the fastest-selling show of Melbourne Theatre Company's Season 2023 to date, proving Melbourne audiences' appetite for socially relevant, compelling Australian stories.

Prima Facie premiered at Sydney's Griffin Theatre Company in 2019 to widespread acclaim and celebrates its 100th show on Friday 10 February. The Melbourne season sees the original team including director Lee Lewis (Gloria) reuniting with Sheridan Harbridge (The Beast) in her award-winning role that holds nothing back.

Artistic Director & Co-CEO Anne-Louise Sarks said, 'I saw the play when it first premiered in Sydney and knew immediately that Victorian audiences needed to see this show.

'It is a searing indictment of a legal system that consistently fails women and clearly audiences are hungry to be part of that conversation. This powerful piece of storytelling is an empathetic and daring way to do just that.'

Playwright Suzie Miller said, 'When my play Prima Facie had its first sold-out season in Sydney, I was beyond thrilled that a play I had written from a place of passion had found an audience. Finally, in the #MeToo era theatre was listening to the lived experiences of women, the nuance of women's lives examined.

'The play had a full standing ovation each night, starting in previews, and it not only played to sold-out audiences for its NSW and QLD seasons, but again in London's West End. But now, my play comes to my hometown of Melbourne, the place where I was born and raised.

'This monodrama is no longer mine but dedicated to the thousands of women who have directly messaged me, sent letters to stage doors or through my agents. The amazing stories they have bravely shared with me will always be the beauty of this work; words expressing how after going to the theatre and seeing a play gave them courage and a voice after their own experiences. That the character of Tessa spoke for them and to them. That Prima Facie could offer them any salve or strength illuminates the strength of theatre. I am so proud to work in this industry.'

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