Jodie Comer's talent is preternatural. I don't think the industry is even ready for it 😳. Olivier Award must be pending at this point with Tony Award on the cards and Jodie Comer deserves it all. The play was just as brilliant on the silver screen, the editing and direction for camera on point and I was probably even more stunned this time round. Emotive, visceral, poignant, chastening, fearless, faultless, mesmerising, vivid, vigorous, breathtaking because well Jodie Comer. All stars have aligned with this play; production, set design, music composition, and are revolving around Jodie. The impact it's having, and in particular on the 1 in 3, is profound. It's probably the single most important piece of art produced in theatre for some time. Broadway has no excuse to not to be enamoured with it when it heads there.
25 Reviews
So Powerful.
diseasedmonkey22 July 2022
Jodie Comer is absolutely fantastic in this role. Truly one of the best acting performances I have ever seen.
The plot is powerful and will resonate deeply with a lot of women. I would gobao far as to say this should be required viewing for everyone.
The plot is powerful and will resonate deeply with a lot of women. I would gobao far as to say this should be required viewing for everyone.
Jodie Comer is the best actress ever.
maine_parnisari2 August 2022
Greatest performance I have ever seen
kjavery-2432131 July 2022
Jodie Comer is probably the best actress working today. She commands you to pay attention to what she's saying, successfully forcing me to enjoy learning about legal terminology before tearing my heart out and branding it with the message of the story.
Absolutely Jaw-dropping
kakaki-7324422 July 2022
Jodie Comer's performance is stunning, captivating and Oscar worthy. Though it is a one woman show, she switches between so many characters with such ease and class that is suspends the audience's disbelief fully. There was not a dry eye in the entire cinema by the end and I've personally still not fully processed just how hard hitting and emotional the message of Prima Facie is.
In Tessa's words, 'in the face of it, something has to change'. And it does. I cannot recommend watching it enough.
In Tessa's words, 'in the face of it, something has to change'. And it does. I cannot recommend watching it enough.
Amazing solo performance - gripping from start to finish
pete-smith1022 July 2022
I saw this last night as a cinema screening of the live stage performance - my overriding feeling, the following morning is one of awe at the acting talen of Jodie Comer.
Others will write better, fuller reviews of the play, the story, the points it raises, but without giving away any spoilers, I just wanted to say this performance has to be one of the more impressive I've ever seen. 2 hours, almost non stop of Jodie talking to the audience, creating various scenes and characters, taking you on a journey, all whilst standing on a stage with just a few props.
The production is very cleverly done and allows Jodie's character to move between events with elegance and fluidity. It is the perfect platform for Jodie to show her acting talent and range - I am sure many, like I was, will be surprised at just what a strong actress she is - it's the sort of performance you might imagine from the British acting elite like Dame Judy Dench et al, not someone so young. If this is an indication of where she might develop her skills, the sky truly is the limit for Jodie.
Obviously the story covers very important and powerful points and if you watch this and aren't left thinking and discussing with friends and family afterwards, I'll be very srurprised.
It's a shamre that more people won't get to see this performance - I only wish I had been in the actual theatre to see it rather than on screen, as I can only imagine how charged the atmosphere must have been when actually in the room. People applauded at the end even in the cinema - in my experience, in this country, that doesn't happen very often at the cinema - so you can take that as a benchmark for how good this is.
Others will write better, fuller reviews of the play, the story, the points it raises, but without giving away any spoilers, I just wanted to say this performance has to be one of the more impressive I've ever seen. 2 hours, almost non stop of Jodie talking to the audience, creating various scenes and characters, taking you on a journey, all whilst standing on a stage with just a few props.
The production is very cleverly done and allows Jodie's character to move between events with elegance and fluidity. It is the perfect platform for Jodie to show her acting talent and range - I am sure many, like I was, will be surprised at just what a strong actress she is - it's the sort of performance you might imagine from the British acting elite like Dame Judy Dench et al, not someone so young. If this is an indication of where she might develop her skills, the sky truly is the limit for Jodie.
Obviously the story covers very important and powerful points and if you watch this and aren't left thinking and discussing with friends and family afterwards, I'll be very srurprised.
It's a shamre that more people won't get to see this performance - I only wish I had been in the actual theatre to see it rather than on screen, as I can only imagine how charged the atmosphere must have been when actually in the room. People applauded at the end even in the cinema - in my experience, in this country, that doesn't happen very often at the cinema - so you can take that as a benchmark for how good this is.
Heart wrenching performance
hannahlatifa28 July 2022
I previously mentioned that Jodie Comer may have peaked in Killing Eve and don't see her topping that level of acting. But boy was I wrong. I was stunned by her performance. What she delivers is raw, hurtful and the truth. People said "there are hints of Villanelle", but I saw no V, just smooth seamless acting as Tessa. That's what puts Jodie above others, every character she plays is unique to the character. I never see crossovers with her (unlike most actors).
Jodie is decades ahead of the current acting scene, both screen and stage. I was breathless and genuinely heart clenched for the entire show. It's senseless that she isn't getting more praise for this heart wrenching performance.
Beyond me how she performed this live nearly everyday for 9 weeks. Words cannot express.
Jodie is decades ahead of the current acting scene, both screen and stage. I was breathless and genuinely heart clenched for the entire show. It's senseless that she isn't getting more praise for this heart wrenching performance.
Beyond me how she performed this live nearly everyday for 9 weeks. Words cannot express.
A Tour-de-force both emotionally and physically
bernababe4 August 2022
Jodie Comer is simply astonishing in this very emotional thought-provoking play. It is the perfect vehicle for her unmatched abilities and a miracle of a one woman show. Great script, fabulous stage set and such an important topic. Everyone should see this!
Jodie Comer is an acting powerhouse
freemantle_uk7 August 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Jodie Comer makes her West End debut with Prima Facie and proves once again why she's such a terrific actress. Her performance was a tour-de-force as she plays a top defence barrister from a working-class background and ends up becoming the victim of rape. She was humorous at the beginning before the play tackles the serious subject. Prima Facie was a wonderfully written play as it tackled its serious themes regarding the legal institution and how rape cases are processed. It was a great character piece as well since Tessa's thinks about all the legal processes after suffering the rape.
Jodie Comer is a One-Off Wonder of the World
cwilliams-303395 August 2022
Jodie is such a powerhouse on stage that she leaves you completely breathless and in total awe of her immeasurable and boundless talents. After seeing the play live, I was stunned into silence. However, when I saw it in the theatre, it was an entirely different experience (because she wasn't mere feet from where we were sitting). When she stared into the barrel of the camera, it felt as if she saw ME. She spoke to my soul and took me on a journey that I will NEVER forget. Everyone, man, woman, and child of an age of comprehension should see this masterpiece from the greatest thespian to grace the stage. I cannot call this production a play because it is so much more than that. It's the most earth-shattering piece of theatre I have ever seen and every available platform on the planet needs to make this accessible for everyone to see. The message that Tessa is sending is legitimately that crucial. If we really want to make change happen, it starts right here, right now.
Jodie is brilliant
S3pt3m63r18 September 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Went to see this as a screening of the National Theatre at my local cinema. I wasn't sure what to expect but knowing it was Jodie was really looking forward to it. She played Tessa a barrister who sometimes cross examines sexual assault victims in court and who is very aware of how the legal system treats such people. More often than not the system is played to the advantage of the man, the perpetrator of the act, as most of the legal players are men, barristers, judge and jury.
Tessa, finds herself being a victim and on the other side of the law, and this is where the story flips over and Jodie's acting throughout is superb. She carries the audience mentality and emotionally for the entire play and you live through every minute with her. She plays her character through every scenario that happens to her without a break and her acting is phenomenal. How she can remember all of her lines beats me!! You have to go and see this, not just for the play but to see how the legal system treats women who have been sexually assaulted and why the charge rate is so low.
Tessa, finds herself being a victim and on the other side of the law, and this is where the story flips over and Jodie's acting throughout is superb. She carries the audience mentality and emotionally for the entire play and you live through every minute with her. She plays her character through every scenario that happens to her without a break and her acting is phenomenal. How she can remember all of her lines beats me!! You have to go and see this, not just for the play but to see how the legal system treats women who have been sexually assaulted and why the charge rate is so low.
Jodie Comer is a tour de force. But what began as a clever look at challenges within the judicial system, became a clever guise for unchallenged misandry
mickman91-126 September 2022
There is no question that Jodie Comer is absolutely magnificent in this one-woman show. It is only about 90 minutes, which is entirely appropriate because she opens at full pelt and does not let up for the entirety of the show. She delivers a bombardment of dialogue and energetic action. It was so clever how she morphed her accent between scouse and RP depending on the state of mind and situation the character was in at any given moment. Truly brilliant. You could not look away the entire time.
The production was also excellent. You can see at the end of the show when the camera pans out, how small the Harold Pinter stage is. But because of the camerawork, you can't tell this when watching, the show feels massive, yet you also feel on stage right with Jodie at the same time. Thus is the synergy of excellent camerawork and excellent acting.
As for the story. Well. I was behind it for about an hour. It looks at how the judicial system, in its noble quest for objectivity and a fair trial for both alleged victim and alleged perpetrator, can often bulldoze alleged victims and not be sensitive enough to the traumatising experience of having to retell and relive their past experiences (in this instance, sexual assault) in the course of the judicial process.
But by the end it gave up on this idea and descended down the cheap, lazy and offensive route instead of just blanket-blaming men for all of the proposed problems with the legal system (a legal system which btw is run by a significant amount of women). Not a specific man, or a specific subsection of men. Just men. It very provocatively suggests that an average of 1 in 3 women in the audience will be sexually assaulted in their lives (a statistic I strongly disagree with), and by implication, that there are huge swathes of men in our society who are sexual abusers (again, an idea I strongly protest). This is the terrible divisiveness that many women have become so accustomed to getting away unchallenged with, and are supportive of each other in promoting in modern times, by blaming all of life's ills on men. And the way that many clearly female reviewers have written galvanising reviews here on IMDB in support of this message of misandry demonstrates how far this toxicity has spread. Not only is it divisive, but promoting this dogma of women=innocent, man=guilty diminishes all the male alleged victims of sexual assault, and all the men who have had to relive traumatising experiences in the course of the judicial process too. So what started off as an interesting and powerful look at the difficult experiences many alleged victims have to go through in the course of the judicial process, was ultimately just a clever guise to lead you down the garden path to some unrestrained and unchallenged man-bashing. How long are we going to let social justice warriors get away with spouting this type of vitriol without any accountability for the effects?
The production was also excellent. You can see at the end of the show when the camera pans out, how small the Harold Pinter stage is. But because of the camerawork, you can't tell this when watching, the show feels massive, yet you also feel on stage right with Jodie at the same time. Thus is the synergy of excellent camerawork and excellent acting.
As for the story. Well. I was behind it for about an hour. It looks at how the judicial system, in its noble quest for objectivity and a fair trial for both alleged victim and alleged perpetrator, can often bulldoze alleged victims and not be sensitive enough to the traumatising experience of having to retell and relive their past experiences (in this instance, sexual assault) in the course of the judicial process.
But by the end it gave up on this idea and descended down the cheap, lazy and offensive route instead of just blanket-blaming men for all of the proposed problems with the legal system (a legal system which btw is run by a significant amount of women). Not a specific man, or a specific subsection of men. Just men. It very provocatively suggests that an average of 1 in 3 women in the audience will be sexually assaulted in their lives (a statistic I strongly disagree with), and by implication, that there are huge swathes of men in our society who are sexual abusers (again, an idea I strongly protest). This is the terrible divisiveness that many women have become so accustomed to getting away unchallenged with, and are supportive of each other in promoting in modern times, by blaming all of life's ills on men. And the way that many clearly female reviewers have written galvanising reviews here on IMDB in support of this message of misandry demonstrates how far this toxicity has spread. Not only is it divisive, but promoting this dogma of women=innocent, man=guilty diminishes all the male alleged victims of sexual assault, and all the men who have had to relive traumatising experiences in the course of the judicial process too. So what started off as an interesting and powerful look at the difficult experiences many alleged victims have to go through in the course of the judicial process, was ultimately just a clever guise to lead you down the garden path to some unrestrained and unchallenged man-bashing. How long are we going to let social justice warriors get away with spouting this type of vitriol without any accountability for the effects?
It's an interesting story
Boristhemoggy26 August 2023
Warning: Spoilers
OK I will walk the controversial path here it's a one woman play about a woman who is raped and must go to court when her colleague professes innocence and the feelings she endures and thoughts she has on the way yes I know rape has been handled many times but this time is different with it being a one woman show now how you view it depends on your perspective obviously but there are some things that for me are common ground.
Read my above paragraph again, where is the punctuation? Did you struggle a tiny bit to read what I wrote? Yeah you got it eventually but you had to decipher it and therein lies the reason I dislike Prima Facie: Comer's almost 2 hour monologue has no 'speech punctuation'. I was lost off many times, my brain trying to process who said what and what did it mean, way behind the speed Comer was shouting the lines. And yes, most of the time she was shouting in earnest, even when it wasn't necessary.
She got rave reviews so I guess my opinion differs from the mainstream, but I didn't watch this play, I suffered it.
Read my above paragraph again, where is the punctuation? Did you struggle a tiny bit to read what I wrote? Yeah you got it eventually but you had to decipher it and therein lies the reason I dislike Prima Facie: Comer's almost 2 hour monologue has no 'speech punctuation'. I was lost off many times, my brain trying to process who said what and what did it mean, way behind the speed Comer was shouting the lines. And yes, most of the time she was shouting in earnest, even when it wasn't necessary.
She got rave reviews so I guess my opinion differs from the mainstream, but I didn't watch this play, I suffered it.
The greatest performance I have ever seen
andrewjdavis-home29 August 2022
I had heard it was incredible by people who had seen it live so my expectations were high. Nothing prepared me for what I saw though. Quite simply it was the best performance I have ever seen. Comer is beyond brilliant in this and fills every single second of the play with joy, pain, doubt, guilt, horror. My first reaction after leaving the theatre is - how could she put that much energy into the performance night after night on stage? The effort she put in exhausted us just watching. You will never see a better performance, ever- unless she does something else that tops even this.
Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.
Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.
Masterpiece
kadziak30 July 2022
My first review on IMDb. I just couldn't resist. I have not seen a performance like this probably ever. Wow. An absolute masterpiece. We went to watch this today and my wife and I came out of the cinema hall stunned and speechless. Judie comer is incredibly talented.
Stunned by the Powerful Acting, and overjoyed for Jodie a real A Tour De Force
ihainy4 August 2022
This is a must see on every level. Jodie Comer gives one of the truly great performances on a theatre stage in her West End debut. I cannot praise her performance enough. I would give her 100 stars if I could, but you don't have a button for that;
The play is a forensic analysis of the legal system when dealing with Rape victims, it shows up the legal system created by male dinosaurs that protects the perpetrator and destroys the victim.
'Something has to Change' and soon.
Bravo Suzy Miller for writing this play and for Jodie's bravery in doing a one women show as her debut on a west end stage. The music, directing and lighting is superb.
Bravo.
'Something has to Change' and soon.
Bravo Suzy Miller for writing this play and for Jodie's bravery in doing a one women show as her debut on a west end stage. The music, directing and lighting is superb.
Bravo.
Powerful tour de force
mogerrae27 July 2022
I saw this at the theatre and again at the cinema. Jody gives such a powerful performance, physically and mentally. At the cinema, the close-ups really bring home her transformation from the confident barrister, to the traumatized survivor. Some find the second half a bit preachy, but the 'one in three' repeated in such a different context really hit home. This should be compulsory viewing in all schools.
Stunningly Beyond Impressive
dbthorburn15 August 2023
Hands down, this is the most brilliant solo live theatre act that I have ever seen. Jodie Comer was stunningly beyond impressive in every facet of her performance. She is now the bar, and it has been set to an astonishing height of excellence.
The narrative is intensely powerful, carrying it's audience along a rapidly shifting coaster ride of emotions ranging from adrenalizing excitement to gut-wrenching disgust, from a flickering hope for empowerment and justice, to a crushing realization that this script is as real as it ever gets.
Jodie Comer, your voice and performance has carried an infinitely powerful message of overcoming adversity for women in this world where so many voices are never heard. BRAVO.
The narrative is intensely powerful, carrying it's audience along a rapidly shifting coaster ride of emotions ranging from adrenalizing excitement to gut-wrenching disgust, from a flickering hope for empowerment and justice, to a crushing realization that this script is as real as it ever gets.
Jodie Comer, your voice and performance has carried an infinitely powerful message of overcoming adversity for women in this world where so many voices are never heard. BRAVO.
Jodie, how?
liasato14 April 2024
This play is an absolute masterpiece. I usually don't write reviews but for this one-in-a-century acting I had to. I could feel Tessa's pain, I could feel the absolute anger for the system - who failed her and her story.
Jodie Comer is such an amazing actress and I could - at the very least - say: the world is not prepared for her. She has got so much potential in her hands, and will conquer so much in her career.
I can't even compute how she memorized all the lines and played it so gracefully. She's telling a story through her acting, she impersonated Tessa so well that it shocks me how this is even real.
Congratulations, Jodie, for making this very important play a lesson on acting and an eternal legacy of your extreme talent!
Jodie Comer is such an amazing actress and I could - at the very least - say: the world is not prepared for her. She has got so much potential in her hands, and will conquer so much in her career.
I can't even compute how she memorized all the lines and played it so gracefully. She's telling a story through her acting, she impersonated Tessa so well that it shocks me how this is even real.
Congratulations, Jodie, for making this very important play a lesson on acting and an eternal legacy of your extreme talent!
Something you need to experience
losanatuisawau-979-4352453 September 2022
As soon as i heard Jodie Comer was going to do a one woman show i just needed to go and see her live in action already knowing how amazing she is. Lucky enough to get tickets and being able to experience seeing her on stage is something to really brag about.
I'm sure i went in with a full face of makeup but ended up walking out with a bare face and puffy eyes. The way she grabbed the audience as soon as she walked onto stage with a pot noodle and straight into character, from mood changes, scene changes and moving the set whilst still being in character was just mesmerising. All the way through she kept us hooked onto the story line without breaking character, making everyone laugh but then being able to cry on queue and really get you feeling the emotions she felt really had the audience silent to the point you could hear a pin drop.
The whole set was great a massive master table which Jodie easily moved across the stage, music brilliant thanks to Self Esteem really set the tone for each part, the one scene where it rained was very sad but the rain made it even more intense and emotional (i was front row and got abit wet).
As lucky as i am to see the real thing on stage, i can't recommend watching this enough. The acting amazing, the music amazing, set amazing and the storyline amazing. The deep, meaningful and strong way Jodie portrays her character is such an eye opener for people who haven't experienced any sort of sexual assault, as she really does bring you into her feelings and it was just so gripping.
I'm sure i went in with a full face of makeup but ended up walking out with a bare face and puffy eyes. The way she grabbed the audience as soon as she walked onto stage with a pot noodle and straight into character, from mood changes, scene changes and moving the set whilst still being in character was just mesmerising. All the way through she kept us hooked onto the story line without breaking character, making everyone laugh but then being able to cry on queue and really get you feeling the emotions she felt really had the audience silent to the point you could hear a pin drop.
The whole set was great a massive master table which Jodie easily moved across the stage, music brilliant thanks to Self Esteem really set the tone for each part, the one scene where it rained was very sad but the rain made it even more intense and emotional (i was front row and got abit wet).
As lucky as i am to see the real thing on stage, i can't recommend watching this enough. The acting amazing, the music amazing, set amazing and the storyline amazing. The deep, meaningful and strong way Jodie portrays her character is such an eye opener for people who haven't experienced any sort of sexual assault, as she really does bring you into her feelings and it was just so gripping.
NO ONE WILL EVER BE AS TALENTED AS JODIE
joshuabinnell31 July 2022
Jodie comer is absolutely out of this world. She has managed to pull off every single role thrown at her. This show was extraordinary. I watched it in theatre and twice in the cinema and everytime I was left speechless. No one could have pulled this role off like Jodie. The accents, the mannerisms, the power and passion. She smashed it. Everyone must see this. Everyone must listen to the message it provides. I will never forget this performance.
This is me.
joycedickinson4 August 2022
Powerful play fueled by an amazing talent of our time, Jodie Comer! Everyone benefits from this principle message of consent, boundaries and justice. I needed to see this film twice just to take in the range of content and emotions. Ms Comer's performance is nothing short of astonishing. It is
important to keep this conversation going to raise awareness that creates change! Looking forward to to Jodies's future in stage and film as well as Susie Miller's future projects.
Beyond brilliant
ladawnclarepanton19 August 2022
Jodie Comer is superb. The story and the statistics are shocking. The entire process for from reporting, investigating, and convicting doesn't work. The system is broken. Everyone needs to watch this. 1 in 3. Don't forget that.
amazing! amazing! amazing!
smonten4 August 2022
Seen it in cinema in cologne, and it was an amazing and incredible experience!! Jodie comer was outstanding and played great! The script, the score and of course her emotional play, not to be surpassed!! Hope everyone could see this in the future and i can't wait, to see it a second time!
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