Prima Facie
Eline Arbo directs Maria Kraakman in author Suzie Miller's award-winning play. This cutting monologue caused a furor on West End and Broadway. Numerous versions were produced worldwide. Eline Arbo was the first to stage the play in the Netherlands. Maria Kraakman won the Theo d'or for the most impressive acting performance in a leading role for her role in Prima Facie.
Duration 100 minutes
Genre Theatre
Language Dutch
Surtitles Thu November 7
In Gesprek Fri November 1 & 8
Please note this performance contains descriptions and images of sexual violence that may be perceived as confrontational. The performance uses strong lighting effects including a stroboscope. This performance contains images that may be unpleasant for people with emetophobia.
Prima Facie
Maria Kraakman plays the role of Tessa, a clever and ruthless criminal defence lawyer specialising in sex crimes. She has broken away from her working-class environment and now resides among the privileged elite. Justice is a sport to her. She feels that, compared to her male colleagues, she undercuts sexual abuse victims in a neat way. Until the tables irrevocably turn. An unexpected event confronts her with the tense relationship between the patriarchal power of the law, the burden of proof, and morality.
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Eline Arbo is Artistic Director at ITA since September 2023. From 2022 she was already linked to ITA as Associate Artistic Director. From January 2023, Arbo was appointed Ibsen Artist in Residence, an initiative of the Philip Loubser Foundation, which gives directors with an international ambition the opportunity to develop themselves artistically.
In season 24|25, she will create Giovanni's Room (James Baldwin) and The Wall (Marlen Haushofer); re-make The End of Eddy (Édouard Louis) and The Years (Annie Ernaux), which she previously directed elsewhere; and her stagings of The Laws (Connie Palmen), Prima Facie (Suzie Miller), Penthesilea (Heinrich von Kleist) and The Hours (Michael Cunningham) will be reprised.
Eline Arbo on Prima Facie
“Suzie Miller knows how to tell an incredibly beautiful and personal story combined with a burning topical issue: modernising our sex offence code. In the Netherlands, too, we lag behind in protecting victims of sexual abuse. Prima Facie is a piece that brilliantly exposes how the age-old legal system is maintained and who is actually protected by our laws.”
In the press
Dutch Theaterjury - Winner Theo d'or for the most impressive acting performance in a leading role
"In the monologue Prima Facie, Maria Kraakman undergoes an impressive transformation. In an extremely subtle way, Kraakman switches between stages of disbelief, self-doubt and pugnacity and once again confirms herself as one of the Netherlands‘ most impressive actors of her generation."
de Volkskrant
“Maria Kraakman acts masterfully.”
NRC
“Maria Kraakman triumphs in poignant indictment of antiquated moral laws.”
8weekly
“This monologue is a one-and-a-half-hour tour de force for the actor: Kraakman completes it in a seemingly effortless manner, with humour, as well as overcome with shame and sadness.”
DIGITAL BROCHURE
Read more about Prima Facie's story, context and creative team in our digital programme brochure.
BEHIND THE SCENES
Suzie Miller is a contemporary international playwright and screenwriter drawn to complex human stories often exploring injustice. Having been produced in 40 productions around the world winning multiple prestigious awards, she has been commissioned by, or been in residence at theatres including London’s National Theatre, the National Theatre of Scotland, Griffin Theatre Australia, Theatre Gargantua Canada and La Boite Theatre Australia.
In season 22|23 director Eline Arbo brings her play Prima Facie to the Dutch stage.
Eline Arbo is Artistic Director at ITA since September 2023. From 2022 she was already linked to ITA as Associate Artistic Director. From January 2023, Arbo was appointed Ibsen Artist in Residence, an initiative of the Philip Loubser Foundation, which gives directors with an international ambition the opportunity to develop themselves artistically.
In season 24|25, she will create Giovanni's Room (James Baldwin) and The Wall (Marlen Haushofer); re-make The End of Eddy (Édouard Louis) and The Years (Annie Ernaux), which she previously directed elsewhere; and her stagings of The Laws (Connie Palmen), Prima Facie (Suzie Miller), Penthesilea (Heinrich von Kleist) and The Hours (Michael Cunningham) will be reprised.
IBSEN ARTIST IN RESIDENCE
Since January 2023, Eline Arbo is Ibsen Artist in Residence, an initiative of the Philip Loubser Foundation, which gives directors with an international ambition the opportunity to develop themselves artistically. The Ibsen Artist in Residence receives an annual budget for their own artistic development, also outside ITA.
Credits
by Suzie Miller
direction Eline Arbo
translation and dramaturgy Anna Sijbrands
scenography Renée Faveere
light Varja Klosse
sound design and composition Thijs van Vuure
costumes Rebekka Wörmann
with thanks to Private Producers Joost and Marcelle Kuiper, Peter Nohlmans and Esther Kwaks
this production is supported by the Philip Loubser Foundation within Eline Arbo's Ibsen Artist in Residency
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cast Maria Kraakman
