Like many people I was tempted when I saw that Jodie Comer would be appearing on stage but the pricing quickly put me off. This happens quite a lot and I though no more of it until it was broadcast in cinemas as part of National Theatre Live where paying £20 was a much more attractive prospect, as was a comfortable and wide seat in Olympic Cinema Barnes.
My almost non-existant research told me that Jodie Cromer was staring in the play but I had missed that she was the only actor in it. I had also avoided any clues as to the story.
Jodie Cromer plays a young rising barrister who understand well how to get witnesses to say what she wants them to say to get the outcome she wants. She narrates her story directly to us and while there is quite a bit of movement and a few props there is little need for either other than to lift it from a story to a play.
All is going well in her life until she is raped which gives her the role of victim in a judicial system she knew so well. The play makes the good point that victims have a hard time in rapes cases as there are usually no witnesses and the victim's sex life can be used to suggest that the incident was consensual. A good point but one which I think is well understood and it did not need a play to make it.
To make that point, and to contrast her role as barrister then victim, this case went to court but, as is also well known, the vast majority of cases do not and there was not enough evidence in this case to justify a court hearing.
With the story compromised, the play relied on the performance of Jodie Comer and while this was good it was severely constrained by the narrative style which took a lot of the emotion and drama out of the story.
I though that Prima Facie was good but not great and I was glad that I had not paid West End prices to see it.
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