LexNova Guild Presents: Prima Facie by National Theatre Live

LexNova Guild presents: Prima Facie by National Theatre Live

LexNova Guild is thrilled to host its first Guildmasters & Guests rabble-rousing event, an exclusive private screening of Prima Facie, starring the extraordinary Jodie Comer, in this acclaimed National Theatre Live production.

Join us on Tuesday 11 August at the iconic Thornbury Picture House in Melbourne, from 7:15pm for drinks and connection with Australia's most interesting alt-law agitators, ahead of an 8:15pm screening. Free for all Guildmasters, ticketed for Guests.

About Prima Facie

Written by Australian playwright and former criminal defence lawyer Suzie Miller, Prima Facie follows Tessa Ensler, a brilliant young barrister who has built her career cross-examining complainants in sexual assault trials, and who wins by trusting the system implicitly. When Tessa herself becomes a complainant, she's forced to confront the same adversarial process from the other side of the bar table, and to reckon with the gap between legal truth and lived experience.

Comer's solo performance won her an Olivier Award and a Tony Award, and this National Theatre Live recording captures the raw intensity that made the original London and Broadway productions cultural phenomena.

Why this matters for the legal profession

Prima Facie isn't just gripping theatre, it's a direct provocation to anyone who works within the legal system. Miller wrote the play drawing on her own years at the bar, and it has been credited with reigniting global conversations about how the adversarial trial process treats survivors of sexual violence, and whether "the law" and "justice" are always the same thing.

For lawyers, judges, and law students, the play offers something rare: a chance to sit with the discomfort of seeing your own professional tools, cross-examination, burden of proof, the presumption of innocence, reflected back as instruments that can silence as much as they protect. It's essential viewing for anyone thinking seriously about legal reform, trauma-informed practice, or simply what it means to do this job well.

This screening is a chance for the LexNova Guild community to experience that provocation together, and to keep talking about it over a drink.

Event details

• Date: Tuesday 11 August 2026

• Arrival: 7:15pm for drinks and connection

• Screening: 8:15pm

• Venue: Thornbury Picture House, Melbourne

• Includes: one beverage, popcorn, and the screening

Grab your ticket and invite a Guild-curious guest, as this is set to spark conversation long after the credits roll.