Prima Facie by Black Swan State Theatre Company

Details: Written by: Nita Teoh; Category: Arts & Culture; Published: 05 July 2024

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Sophia Forrest (as Tessa Ensler), Prima Facie, Black Swan State Theatre Company
Photo Credit: Daniel J Grant

As my partner and I headed to the State Theatre Centre of WA on a coolish evening, we were looking forward to watching Prima Facie by Black Swan State Theatre Company.

Written by Suzie Miller, the play centres around Tessa Ensler – a criminal defence barrister on top of her game, who hasn't lost a case for months. It has been a hard climb to success for a working class girl, but she has finally made it to the top.

Just as everything appears to be falling into place for Tessa, a new potential relationship with her equally successfully colleague Damo blows her carefully constructed world apart. Whilst under the influence of alcohol and ill from its effects, Tessa is raped by Damo in her own apartment.

What should she do? Report him or let it go?

Ethical and moral questions confront Tessa as she attempts to navigate our legal system and come to terms with the fact that her mind and body have been violated – but this time instead of being the barrister defending the accused, she is the victim being questioned.

Clocking in at just over 1 hour 40 minutes, Prima Facie is an adrenaline charged, heart pumping exploration of the legal battlefield of rape cases.

Single handedly - Sophia Forrest (as Tessa Ensler) explores the intricate and explosive themes of Prima Facie – plumbing your emotional depths – till you can’t sink any further in your emotional turmoil (or so you thought). Over the course of the play, Tessa rises up with strength and conviction to forge a path ahead – amidst her constant vulnerabilities and emotional turmoil and trauma of what happened. After a powerful conclusion, Sophia and the crew were rewarded with a lengthy standing ovation by the audience.

The audience was gripped by Sophia's intensity on stage and along with the pulsing beats and stark set – it makes for a riveting evening of theatre at the Heath Ledger Theatre.

A real winner of a play directed by Kate Champion of Black Swan State Theatre Company, Prima Facie is on at the State Theatre Centre of WA until the 21st July.

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