Theatre

Prima Facie

Thursday, 21/05/2026 / 07:30 PM - 12:00 AM / M*Halle

Prima Facie by Suzie Miller German by Anne Rabe Premiere January 23, 2026

"This is not life, this is the law."

Tessa Ensler is one of the best. As a criminal defense lawyer, she is unbeatable, defending countless men on trial for sexual assault with skillful negotiation strategy and compelling success in cross-examination. Whether the perpetrator is guilty or not is irrelevant to her, because the only thing that counts in the courtroom is the legal truth. Tessa is concerned with solid evidence, gaps in the victims' statements, defending the presumption of innocence and fighting for the legal system. A system in which she is one of the few to have made a career and in which she believes with the deepest conviction. Until something happens that she would never have thought possible. She is sexually assaulted by a colleague with whom she is having an affair. Her life threatens to collapse. But Tessa decides to fight back. From being a defense lawyer, she becomes an accuser herself and now experiences the events in the courtroom, insinuations and prejudices from a different perspective.

Every third woman becomes a victim of sexualized violence in the course of her life. Only very few perpetrators are convicted. Suzie Miller's award-winning and much-performed solo for an actress tells a stirring and impressive story about the gaps in the legal system.

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