Legal dramas, both on television and on the stage, have a reputation, and indeed, a penchant, for being wildly unrealistic and sensationalised. Yet Suzie Miller, as a former corporate lawyer herself, unsurprisingly does not fall into this trap with Prima Facie, which follows a junior criminal defence barrister through their dealings with the system as a sexual assault victim. The play has become one of the most acclaimed Australian plays of the 21^st century and returns to Sydney with a short season at Carriageworks, produced by Black Swan State Theatre Company. 

The play is a confronting watch, as the audiences watches someone who has built themselves and their strength upon the judicial system crumble as the judicial system fails to protect them after they are assaulted by a fellow barrister in their chambers. The play is a harrowing insight into both the judicial process and the extra-judicial impacts of reporting, with the protagonist forced to relive their trauma repeatedly while their perpetrator watches silently. With recent real-life legal cases bringing the issue of how sexual assault victims are treated in both criminal and civil trials into the forefront of the Australian public consciousness, it feels like there could not be a more appropriate time for this play to return to Sydney. 

In some ways, it is interesting to see just how critical Miller is of the judicial system, given both her background as a lawyer and given that her husband currently sits on the bench of the High Court of Australia. However, this is also very much the point of Miller’s play, as she highlights how a solely legal viewpoint of trauma can ignore the management of lived experience, which can be just as powerful to victim-survivors as legal vindication. In this way, the work is particularly powerful as it exposes and interrogates an often deeply-held view in the legal profession that the law provides absolutes by holding it against a more nuanced reality that resonates with both lawyers and non-lawyers alike. 

The setting at Carriageworks is perfect for the production, with Bruce McKinven’s set being both cavernous and isolating, which perfectly encapsulates the protagonist’s situation. Peter Young’s lighting and Melanie Robinson’s sound design are also befitting of the production, complimenting the superb direction of Kate Champion. This is a production that gets all the elements right, which ensures that the power of the production is not lost on the audience by creating a fully immersive experience which transports those watching into the world of the victim. 

Ultimately though, this is a production for which its success depends upon the performance of the lead, and in this regard, Sof Forrest is superb. Their performance is simultaneously stoic and emotional, exploring the tension between their devotion to the law and their situation. There is a rawness about their performance and it shines through, adding to the poignancy of the performance. 

Overall, this is a fantastic production, which is incredibly well-executed by Forrest and the production team. This is a play that has ever-increasing relevance in Australian society and as much as it is a harrowing watch, it is both informative and gripping. A fantastic production and a superb exponent of the theatrical form. 

Rating: ★★★★★

Prima Facie plays at Carriageworks until 12^th July. For more information, click here. 

All photo credits: Daniel Boud