A NORPA production

Prima Facie

Written by Suzie Miller
Directed by Heather Fairbairn

★★★★½ “There is a reason Prima Facie has become a global phenomenon, and this NORPA production delivers.” ArtsHub

about

Suzie Miller’s Prima Facie has captivated audiences worldwide — from London’s West End to Broadway. In 2026, NORPA’s original production of this landmark Australian play toured to six destinations in the Northern Rivers.

Matilda Ridgway (Belvoir’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time) is Tessa — an ambitious young lawyer at the top of her game. But when a shocking event throws her own life into crisis, she finds herself on the other side of the witness stand, forced to confront the entrenched power of the law. Once a champion of the system, she now faces its cracks and failures firsthand.

Directed by renowned director Heather Fairbairn (Opera Australia’s Katya Kabanova and Bell Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night), this is theatre at its most urgent and moving — a story that challenges, provokes, and resonates deeply with audiences around the world.

NORPA is proud to produce Prima Facie as the very first work in our annual Village Circuit season — sharing exceptional theatre with towns and communities across the Northern Rivers.

In February 2026, Prima Facie played in Byron Bay, Murwillumbah, Tweed Heads, Kyogle, Grafton and Lismore.

read the program

Read the Prima Facie digital program.

reviews

★★★★½ “A worldclass production”
Arts Hub

“Absolutely outstanding. The power of art to bring us to tears and render us speechless as the applause subsided. I doubt anyone that sees this will forget it in a hurry.”
Audience member

“This is one of the best written and performed pieces of theatre I have ever experienced. Thank you. This play was amazing. I can’t stop thinking about it.”
Audience member

“This was an amazing performance. I was spellbound from the start. The actor was magnificent. The play itself was masterfully written. Ingenious use of props and lighting. I left the theatre knowing I’d seen something really special.”
Audience member

“It was honestly quite mind blowing. I was totally absorbed, living every moment of what was an extraordinary performance.”
Audience member

GALLERY

CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM

Writer Suzie Miller
Director Heather Fairbairn
Performer Matilda Ridgway
Lighting and Set Designer Véronique Benett
Sound Designer Julian Starr
Costume Designer Ella Lincoln
Production Stage Manager Asline Adjalle
Touring Crew Padi Bolliger and Fin Wegener

Prima Facie was first produced by Griffin Theatre Company in May 2019 at the SBW Stables Theatre.

Production photos by Kate Holmes.

2026 PRESENTATION HISTORY

12 – 14 Feb: Byron Theatre
19 Feb: Tweed Heads Civic Centre
20 Feb: Murwillumbah Civic Centre
21 Feb: Kyogle Memorial Hall
25 Feb: Saraton Theatre, Grafton
27 – 28 Feb: Star Court Theatre Lismore

SUPPORTED BY

This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body, Arts on Tour and the NSW Government through Create NSW.