Prima Facie Script !full! -

Can be maintained via voiceover or direct look to camera (similar to Fleabag ), or externalized through dialogue with secondary characters.

The thematic climax of the script focuses on systemic legal failure. Suzie Miller highlights how the legal definition of truth fails to accommodate the reality of trauma.

If your script fails any of these tests, it is not yet a prima facie script. It requires further revision, clarification, or structural re-engineering.

The initial acts introduce Tessa at the height of her professional powers. Coming from a working-class background, she has clawed her way to the top of the elite British legal system. She views the law as a game of skill, rules, and logic. Tessa explicitly states her belief in the legal system, arguing that the burden of proof must remain high to prevent wrongful convictions. She takes pride in cross-examining complainants, exposing inconsistencies, and winning cases for her clients. The Catalyst prima facie script

The script asks: When the evidence is clear "on the face of it," why does the legal system so often fail to see the truth underneath?

The script utilizes fast-paced, fragmented prose during the first half to mimic the adrenaline and chaos of London legal life. Post-assault, the syntax shifts. It becomes heavier, more repetitive, and intensely focused on sensory details, reflecting the onset of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Explore the differences between the Tell me which aspect you would like to explore next! Share public link Can be maintained via voiceover or direct look

The play follows , a brilliant and ambitious criminal defense barrister who has risen from a working-class background to the top of her profession.

Suelynn Tan’s stage play Prima Facie —and its subsequent West End, Broadway, and filmed adaptations starring Jodie Comer—has become a landmark text in contemporary drama. For screenwriters, playwrights, and actors, the script serves as a masterclass in pacing, perspective shifts, and the deconstruction of legal systems.

The script opens with a rapid tempo. Tessa speaks directly to the audience. She details her working-class roots and her triumphs at Cambridge. Miller uses rhythmic language to mimic the fast-paced nature of legal combat. Tessa explains how the system works. She emphasizes that truth is secondary to legal proof. Act Two: The Witness Stand If your script fails any of these tests,

Miller, a former human rights lawyer, weaponizes this concept to create the play's central dramatic irony. Her protagonist, Tessa, is a brilliant young barrister from a working-class background who has mastered the art of creating prima facie doubt to defend wealthy clients, including those accused of sexual assault. Her opening monologue is a blistering tour of her courtroom victories, where she weaponizes reasonable doubt to dismantle victims and exonerate her clients. Tessa has perfected using the letter of the law to win, believing the system to be a pure arena of intellectual combat.

Remember the mantra: Facts, not conclusions. Specifics, not generalizations. Presumption, not proof.

Prosecutor must show prima facie that:

When drafting your script, always cite to the exhibit number. "See Exhibit A (Dashcam footage at timestamp 00:03:22)." The judge must be able to verify your claims in the record.