Tessa is a thoroughbred. A young, brilliant barrister who loves to win. She has worked her way up from working-class origins to be at the top of her game; defending; cross-examining and lighting up the shadows of doubt in any case. An unexpected event forces her to confront the lines where the patriarchal power of the law, burden of proof and morals diverge. Suzie Miller’s award-winning Prima Facie takes us to the heart of where emotion and experience collide with the rules of the game. Justin Martin directs this solo actor tour de force from Jodie Comer.
The dashing is not just Tessa’s M.O. but the production’s. With its expressionistic sound (lots of pumped-up heartbeats by Ben and Max Ringham) and sudden slashes of harsh light (by Natasha Chivers), Martin’s busy staging is at pains to help Comer fill the vast space alone. She doesn’t need it; she solves the one-actor problem with her own resourcefulness, handily playing all sides of conversations that sometimes involve several people. And when she must be both a third-person reporter of a remembered event and a first-person participant in it, she makes the echo meaningful by using it to specify the content. The laugh she lets out after saying “We laugh” is a very particular and complicated kind.
You would never know that Jodie Comer is making her stage debut in Suzie Miller’s harrowing one-person play Prima Facie. The thirty-year-old British actress has rocketed to fame in recent years, thanks in large part to her award-winning turn as a ruthless assassin in the international hit television series Killing Eve. But while many film and television stars prove underwhelming on stage, Comer instantly affirms herself as a top-rank theater performer with this dynamic star turn in which she absolutely commands attention for 100 uninterrupted minutes. Already the recipient of the Olivier Award for the play’s London run, she should repeat that success when the Tonys are handed out in June.
Digital Lottery:
Price: $10
Where: primafacieplay.com/ticket-lottery
When: Beginning April 5, 2023, tickets priced at $10 for the following week's performances will be released every Wednesday.
Limit: Two per customer
Information: Tickets are subject to availability.
| 2023 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Direction of a Play | Justin Martin |
| 2023 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Lead Performer in a Play | Jodie Comer |
| 2023 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Lighting Design | Natasha Chivers |
| 2023 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Play | Suzie Miller |
| 2023 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Scenic Design | Miriam Buether |
| 2023 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Sound Design of a Play | Ben Ringham |
| 2023 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Lighting Design of a Play | Natasha Chivers |
| 2023 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Play | Suzie Miller |
| 2023 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Solo Performance | Jodie Comer |
| 2023 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Jodie Comer |
| 2023 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Production of a Play | Prima Facie |
| 2023 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Solo Performance | Jodie Comer |
| 2023 | Theatre World Awards | Theatre World Awards | Jodie Comer |
| 2023 | Tony Awards | Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Play | Jodie Comer |
| 2023 | Tony Awards | Best Lighting Design of a Play | Natasha Chivers |
| 2023 | Tony Awards | Best Scenic Design of a Play | Miriam Buether |
| 2023 | Tony Awards | Best Sound Design of a Play | Ben & Max Ringham |
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