Cynthia Erivo leads Prima Facie film at Toronto premiere

Cynthia Erivo brought the courtroom drama Prima Facie to the screen at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it premiered on Sunday.

Erivo, a three-time Oscar nominee, stars as Tessa in the film version, The Hollywood Reporter reported. The part puts her at the centre of a legal story that began in the theatre.

The film adapts Suzie Miller's one-woman play Prima Facie, with Miller also writing the screenplay, Deadline reported. Jodie Comer starred in the stage play in 2022 and later won the Tony Award on Broadway for it. The London West End production won Olivier Awards including Best Actress for Comer, who did not reprise the role for the film.

In the screen story, Tessa is a barrister, a lawyer who argues cases in court, who defends men charged with sexual assault. After a consensual sexual relationship with a colleague crosses the line, she files a rape charge against him. Daniel Ings plays Julian, the fellow lawyer and colleague, in the film.

Susanna White directed the film version. Toronto audiences are the first to see Erivo in the role, with the title programmed in the festival's 51st edition as a legal drama, according to TIFF.

What makes this stand out for festival audiences is the shift in scale. The stage piece was built for one performer. The film keeps Tessa's perspective but places other people in the room with her.

TIFF describes Prima Facie as exposing the pitfalls of a legal system that places the burden of proof on the victim, according to TIFF. The festival lists a content advisory for strobing effects and sexual assault. A screening on Saturday, September 19 will be presented with open captions.