NY previews for Olivier winner ‘Prima Facie’ start 4-11-23

LONDON— On Sunday, April 2, 2023 at the Royal Albert Hall, the West End production of Prima Facie won 2023 Olivier Awards for Best New Play and Best Actress for star Jodie Comer (“Killing Eve”).

This month, Comer makes her Broadway debut in the solo play by Suzie Miller under the direction of Justin Martin (The Jungle). Previews for Prima Facie begin on Tuesday, April 11, 2023 at the Golden Theatre (252 West 45th Street). Opening night is Sunday, April 23, 2023. The production will play a limited 10-week engagement through Sunday, June 18, 2023. Tickets are available at Telecharge.com.

‘PRIMA FACIE’: Olivier Award winner Jodie Comer in the new drama starting Broadway previews on April 11, 2021. Photo: © Helen Murray.

For her performance in Prima Facie, which marked her West End debut, Comer also won the Evening Standard Award for Best Actress, the WhatsOnStage Award for Best Performer in a Play, the West End Debut Award from The Stage, and the BroadwayWorld UK/West End Award for Best Newcomer.

Playwright Suzie Miller also won the WhatsOnStage Award for Best New Play.

Tessa (Comer) is a thoroughbred. A young, brilliant barrister. She has worked her way up from working class origins to be at the top of her game; defending; cross examining and winning, until an unexpected event forces her to confront the lines where the patriarchal power of the law, burden of proof and morals diverge.

Prima Facie will work with The Schools Consent Project, a UK-based charity founded by Kate Parker that educates young people on issues surrounding consent and sexual assault. In addition to fundraising and donations, the production will work with the charity and various school groups to foster further understanding and education and extend the organization’s outreach in US schools.

Prima Facie will also work with Everyone’s Invited, a digital safe place for survivors to share their stories completely anonymously. Founded by Soma Sara, Everyone’s Invited provides many survivors a sense of relief, catharsis, empowerment, and gives them a feeling of community and hope.

The producers of Prima Facie recently announced that 10 tickets will be made available for $10 each at every performance via a weekly digital lottery. The $10 price point is inclusive of all fees. Beginning April 5, 2023, tickets priced at $10 for the following week’s performances will be released every Wednesday. For an opportunity to purchase a pair of seats at $10 each and to receive a weekly reminder to join the lottery, register via the Prima Facie website at primafacieplay.com/ticket-lottery

Jodie Comer won a 2019 Primetime Emmy Award for her mesmerizing performance as the psychopathic Russian assassin Villanelle in the BBC spy series, “Killing Eve.” She has also received two British Academy Television Awards for “Killing Eve” and “Help.” Her credits include the films The Last Duel and Free Guy, and the TV series, “Thirteen,” “The White Princess,” and “Doctor Foster: A Woman Scorned.” Upcoming roles include the films The End We Start From and The Bikeriders.

Jodie Comer shows off her Olivier Award for Best Actress at the Oliver Awards in London on April 2, 2023. Photo: Pamela Raith Photography.

Anglo-Australian playwright Suzie Miller is a former human rights and children’s rights lawyer. Prima Facie originally premiered in 2019 in Sydney where it won the 2020 Australian Writers’ Guild Award for Drama, the 2020 David Williamson Award for Outstanding Theatre Writing, and the 2020 prestigious Major Australian Writers’ Guild Award across all categories of theatre, film, and television.

Director Justin Martin is best known for his staging of The Jungle, which has played at the Young Vic, the West End, St. Ann’s Warehouse in New York, and in San Francisco. Other credits include Low Level Panic, Last Chance: A Plea For the Unaccompanied Children of Calais, The Nether, Fifty Two, Good Chance/No Chance, Harvey and Frieda, Street, The Kitchen and Skintight.

Prima Facie features an original score by Rebecca Lucy Taylor, who is better known as Self Esteem, and who completed her debut US Tour earlier this year for her new album, Prioritise Pleasure. She will embark on a UK tour in 2023, before returning to the US for a show at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn on April 12, 2023. Her soundtrack album for Prima Facie is available on digital streaming services.

Dani Arlington, who understudied the role of Tessa for the West End production, will be the understudy for the Broadway engagement.

Set and costume design is by two-time Tony Award nominee Miriam Buether. Lighting design is by Drama Desk nominee Natasha Chivers. Sound design is by Drama Desk Award winners Ben & Max Ringham. Video is by William Williams for Treatment Studio.

Production Stage Manager is Diane DiVita. Assistant Stage Manager is Georgia Bird. Marketing is by Liz Furze for AKA. Production Management is by Liza Luxenberg for Aurora Productions. General management is by 101 Productions Ltd. Company manager is Katie Andrews. Associate Producer is Kerrise Stewart.

Jodie Comer, Dani Arlington and Georgia Bird are engaged with the support of Actors’ Equity Association.

Prima Facie is produced by Empire Street Productions, Elizabeth Armstrong, Barbara Broccoli, Caiola Productions, Kristin Caskey, Echo Lake Entertainment, Eilene Davidson Productions, Eleanor Lloyd Productions, Faliro House, FilmNation Entertainment, Dale Franzen, L.T.D. Productions Inc., Holly Anderson Levow, Stephanie P. McClelland, Olympus Theatricals, Rachel Sussman and The Shubert Organization.

Trigger Warning: As much as we don’t want to give away any spoilers, we recognize that this play can cause distress or trigger challenging emotions for some audience members. Prima Facie includes sensitive subject matters including reference to sex, violence, and sexual assault. For more details and resources, visit primafacieplay.com.