Wicked star Cynthia Erivo hopes Prima Facie will push conversations about consent beyond the cinema and into the legal profession, as she brings a new interpretation to Suzie Miller’s courtroom drama.
Erivo plays Tessa, a successful barrister whose confidence in the justice system is overturned when she is raped by a colleague. The role follows Jodie Comer’s acclaimed stage performance, but Erivo says she approached it on her own terms.
“I’m never worried about what someone else has done,” she told the Guardian. “I try to be respectful.” Erivo and Comer discussed the role when they met at a fashion dinner, though Erivo did not seek advice on playing it.
For Erivo, Tessa’s reckoning includes recognising how difficult it can be to recall traumatic events with the precision demanded in court. She said judges and lawyers had already seen the film, and hopes it will prompt a broader examination of consent.
Susanna White directs the feature from Miller’s adaptation of her own play. Erivo also executive produces through her company, Edith’s Daughter.
