PRIMA FACIE

'Every winner might be the one who loses the next day.' Tessa is a young, brilliant barrister. She has worked her way up from working-class origins to the top of her game: defending, cross-examining and winning. But an unexpected event forces her to confront the patriarchal power of the law, where the burden of proof and morality diverge. Prima Facie by Suzie Miller is an award-winning play for a solo actor, taking us deep into a world where emotion and integrity are in conflict with the rules of the game. After several acclaimed productions in Australia and winning the Australian Writers' Guild Award for Drama, the play received its European premiere at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London's West End in April 2022. It was produced by Empire Street Productions, directed by Justin Martin, and starred Jodie Comer, the Emmy and Bafta Award-winning star of TV's Killing Eve , making her West End debut. It won Best New Play at both the Olivier Awards and the WhatsOnStage Awards in 2023.

'Every winner might be the one who loses the next day.' Tessa is a young, brilliant barrister. She has worked her way up from working-class origins to the top of her game: defending, cross-examining and winning. But an unexpected event forces her to confront the patriarchal power of the law, where the burden of proof and morality diverge. Prima Facie by Suzie Miller is an award-winning play for a solo actor, taking us deep into a world where emotion and integrity are in conflict with the rules of the game. After several acclaimed productions in Australia and winning the Australian Writers' Guild Award for Drama, the play received its European premiere at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London's West End in April 2022. It was produced by Empire Street Productions, directed by Justin Martin, and starred Jodie Comer, the Emmy and Bafta Award-winning star of TV's Killing Eve , making her West End debut. It won Best New Play at both the Olivier Awards and the WhatsOnStage Awards in 2023.

The New York Times Bestseller Named Best Thriller of the Year by BookRiot "Enthralling and sharp-witted...Highly recommended."--Karin Slaughter, The New York Times and #1 international bestselling author Based on the Olivier and Tony Award-winning play, Suzie Miller's Prima Facie is an unforgettable story of what happens when a victim is asked to navigate a system that is not set up to accommodate the lived experience of sexual assault survivors. This is not life, this is law... Tessa Ensler loves her job. She's worked her way up to being a top criminal defense barrister against all the odds, and fights to defend those pleading not guilty. Tessa believes in the law, believes in the system. Her quick-witted cross-examinations and intelligence in the courtroom see her clocking up win after win - including securing freedom for men accused of rape and sexual assault. Innocence until proven guilty is, after all, the bedrock of a civilized society. But when Tessa is raped by a coworker, she struggles to find the strength to bring him to justice in the face of the barriers and opposition within that same system. Determined to have her day in court, Tessa is forced to confront the stark reality that the law was not written for victims, and that she is the one on trial. She fights on, even as her evidence is manipulated to make her look like a liar, even while she is retraumatized in the stand. "Bold, fearless... Prima Facie is a deeply rewarding, absolute must read."--Chris Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author of We Begin at the End

The New York Times Bestseller Named Best Thriller of the Year by BookRiot "Enthralling and sharp-witted...Highly recommended."--Karin Slaughter, The New York Times and #1 international bestselling author Based on the Olivier and Tony Award-winning play, Suzie Miller's Prima Facie is an unforgettable story of what happens when a victim is asked to navigate a system that is not set up to accommodate the lived experience of sexual assault survivors. This is not life, this is law... Tessa Ensler loves her job. She's worked her way up to being a top criminal defense barrister against all the odds, and fights to defend those pleading not guilty. Tessa believes in the law, believes in the system. Her quick-witted cross-examinations and intelligence in the courtroom see her clocking up win after win - including securing freedom for men accused of rape and sexual assault. Innocence until proven guilty is, after all, the bedrock of a civilized society. But when Tessa is raped by a coworker, she struggles to find the strength to bring him to justice in the face of the barriers and opposition within that same system. Determined to have her day in court, Tessa is forced to confront the stark reality that the law was not written for victims, and that she is the one on trial. She fights on, even as her evidence is manipulated to make her look like a liar, even while she is retraumatized in the stand. "Bold, fearless... Prima Facie is a deeply rewarding, absolute must read."--Chris Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author of We Begin at the End

Top criminal lawyer Tessa believes in the law, she believes in the system, she believes in playing by the rules. If you play by the rules, justice will be served. She has not only staked her career on these principles, she has placed her very faith in them. But when the tables are turned and Tessa has to take the witness stand, she is forced to confront the shortcomings of the legal system and its patriarchal foundations of justice. In the multi-award-winning Prima Facie , Suzie Miller delivers a one-woman tour de force - by turns wryly amusing and powerfully shocking - that exposes the failings of a system seemingly designed to further brutalise women who have experienced sexual assault, rape or harassment. For Tessa, as for so many women, truth turns out to be less about reality and more about how you play the game. And in this court, nobody wins.

Top criminal lawyer Tessa believes in the law, she believes in the system, she believes in playing by the rules. If you play by the rules, justice will be served. She has not only staked her career on these principles, she has placed her very faith in them. But when the tables are turned and Tessa has to take the witness stand, she is forced to confront the shortcomings of the legal system and its patriarchal foundations of justice. In the multi-award-winning Prima Facie , Suzie Miller delivers a one-woman tour de force - by turns wryly amusing and powerfully shocking - that exposes the failings of a system seemingly designed to further brutalise women who have experienced sexual assault, rape or harassment. For Tessa, as for so many women, truth turns out to be less about reality and more about how you play the game. And in this court, nobody wins.