: Start with a "hook" and a formal statement of the resolution.
Prima Facie is not a comfortable play. It is a scalpel. Suzie Miller has written the most effective theatrical indictment of rape prosecutions since The Vagina Monologues —but with a lawyer’s precision, not a poet’s abstraction.
Suzy Miller’s background as a human rights lawyer anchors the fiction in reality. The play concludes not with a neat resolution, but with an urgent call to action. It demands a total overhaul of how sexual assault cases are prosecuted worldwide. To help you analyze this text further, please tell me:
Let us first demystify the term. Prima facie is Latin for "at first sight" or "on its face." A , therefore, is the written articulation of evidence that, if taken as true, is sufficient to prove a particular legal proposition. prima facie script
The Prima Facie script uses a distinct two-act structure hidden within a continuous monologue. This division creates a jarring contrast between Tessa’s two lives.
+--------------------------------------------------------+ | ACT ONE | | • Rapid tempo, rhythmic language | | • Tessa dominates the courtroom | | • Legal system viewed as a game to win | +--------------------------------------------------------+ | v [ THE TURNING POINT: ASSAULT ] | v +--------------------------------------------------------+ | ACT TWO | | • Slower tempo, raw emotional delivery | | • Tessa is cross-examined by the defense | | • Legal system viewed as a weapon against victims | +--------------------------------------------------------+ Act One: The Machinery of Law
A prima facie script looks easy to read. Pages dominated by massive blocks of text repel readers. : Start with a "hook" and a formal
The opening pages must prove that the story is worth telling.
: Clarify exactly what you are talking about.
: A brief summary and a call for a favorable decision. Tips for Success Suzie Miller has written the most effective theatrical
Each of these scripts succeeds because they apply the same principles as Prima Facie : a clear premise, an active and flawed protagonist, and an economical structure where every element serves the whole. They are the embodiment of res ipsa loquitur —"the thing speaks for itself."
The character's "Want" is their external, tangible goal (e.g., winning a trial, robbing a bank, surviving a monster). The "Need" is their internal emotional growth (e.g., learning humility, forgiving a parent). The external want must be clearly stated or shown early to give the script momentum. Active vs. Reactive
Unlike many one-person shows that feel like TED Talks, Prima Facie uses the solo format to mirror isolation. There are no other actors because, after the assault, Tessa has no one. Her mother, her boss, the police, the jury—they are all voices she must conjure alone. The script’s rapid shifts between cross-examination, internal monologue, and direct address create a feverish, trapped energy.