Laurence Olivier Award-winning play Prima Facie to be performed in Palmerston North

In Prima Facie, Mel Dodge plays defence lawyer Tessa, who ends up on trial in the witness box after she's sexually assaulted. Photo / Dianna Thomson

Tessa is a criminal defence lawyer at the top of her game and loving it: defending, cross-examining, and playing the rules of the law to win. But when the tables turn, she finds herself at the mercy of the very system she has dedicated her life to. Shadows of doubt are illuminated, making us question who the legal system serves.

Prima Facie, which opens at Centrepoint Theatre in Palmerston North on May 11, turns our courts of law into a different kind of stage. Written by Australian-British playwright Suzie Miller, this sharp, witty and gripping one-woman show continues an urgent conversation for New Zealand.

Prima Facie is billed as a must-see for all, especially lawyers, politicians, counsellors, psychologists, educators and advocators.

It is directed by Lyndee-Jane Rutherford and stars Mel Dodge, who played Tessa in the Circa Theatre season in Wellington last year.

Prima Facie won the 2023 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play.

It deals with sexual assault and how the legal system deals with these cases. It is recommended for audiences 15 and over.

The Details

What: Prima Facie

When: May 11–26

Where: Centrepoint Theatre

Tickets: centrepoint.co.nz or the box office