Trigger warning: This article mentions themes of sexual assault.
★★★★★
Jodie Comer is most famously known for her iconic role in Killing Eve, as well as My Mad Fat Diary and most recently in the film The Last Duel. She is an Emmy award-winning actress and her status carries on rising.
Comer recently made her West End debut in the one-woman show – Prima Facie. The show is about Tessa, a barrister who defends those who have been accused of sexual assault, but one night she is sexually assaulted in the form of a ‘date-rape’.
I was lucky enough to score tickets to Prime Facie at the Harold Pinter Theatre last night. With their ‘Pay What You Can’ scheme, tickets go on sale each Wednesday for whatever price you can afford. I found myself with front row seats.
The entire theatre was packed, not an empty seat to be seen, and the show finally started after anticipation from fans throughout the room.
The show was a 100-minute-long monologue from Comer herself. Although it was her first time on the West End, the stage seemed to belong to her.
The show had a comedic start, with the actress performing the lines flawlessly and earning laughter from the crowd. Despite it being only her on stage, I could really imagine every character she described and ‘interacted’ with during the show, even though they were not there.
At times, I was so invested that it felt like it was only me and Jodie in the room, and I believe that is down to her incredible talent.
Being so close to the front made the show even more incredible. With tears streaming down Comer’s face in front of my eyes, it made the entire show raw and hard-hitting. There were barely any dry eyes in the room by the time the curtain fell.
Prima Facie gives power and voices to women that can relate to the issues raised throughout the show, and I think it is so important to give them the chance to be heard – especially regarding the difficult subject of sexual assault. The show highlights issues with the law system and the terrible reality of the world we live in.
Prima Facie is a five-star experience for me. The show tackles important and necessary subjects and was performed by one of the most amazing actresses of our generation. There was so much emotion put into this show, and I urge everyone to watch it.
Prima Facie is playing until 18 June 2022, and you can find more details here.
