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I am always nervous about going to see a play that is related to the law. Invariably, I would find it unwatchable, with this or that aspect usually being wrong. Like when I used to watch The Bill on TV while studying at law school. Had they even read PACE?
So, the prospect of spending 90 minutes watching Jodie Comer (of, in particular, Killing Eve fame) portraying an actual barrister filled me with trepidation. I was wrong. Wow, was I wrong!
Comer plays Tessa, a successful criminal defence barrister. A girl made good from the working-class suburbs of Liverpool. She spends her days in court, defending the indefensible and largely those accused of sexual abuse (a point with which she grapples early on in her performance). Those she represents are the worst of the worst. She plays the game and wins. She does it with charisma, pathos and vigour.
Drawing on the working tools and fundamentals of this profession consistently and thoroughly, Comer never causes those who know the role well to lose interest. Everyone is entitled to representation; and as a barrister you are obliged to do your best for them. But what happens if, or when, you are yourself a victim of sexual abuse. One in three women are subjected to physical or sexual violence once in their lifetime. So, what happens when it is the barrister who is the victim of a sexual assault? An assault from another barrister. A barrister in your chambers. A barrister who is also an expert in criminal law. This is the situation which befalls Tessa. Raped, by her ‘boyfriend’, when she said no. Raped, by another barrister.
Who does the court – your workplace – believe? Comer is fantastic in this one-woman show. She is wholly believable as an ambitious lawyer and, sadly, too as a rape victim.
Comer executes the fine line between being a barrister and being human brilliantly, the two often mistaken for the same thing. She reminds us that, sadly, we may also as legal professionals find ourselves at the mercy of the court in one way or another. She grapples with the difficulties that we face as humans in the profession, and also how clients may feel when entrusting us as their advocates and our justice system with their lives, with beautiful balance.
It is wonderfully written by Suzie Miller, who takes us on a journey of beguile and ultimately destruction. We sit mesmerised as an audience by the set, the performance and the oratory. Comer’s costume and set changes are seamless.
She holds the audience in absolute captivation by way of her performance. One actor: 90 minutes. Comer is charming, vulnerable and ultimately us. By that I mean anyone who has faced bullying, abuse and or despair. She holds us in her hands, and dictates our emotions, our anger and for many in the audience, our tears.
The criminal justice system is itself held to trial; and as perhaps is unsurprising to any of us with even a mere understanding, found to be failing. One in three. The system is failing; but this production is not. Absolutely five stars!
Jason M Hadden MBE is a barrister at St Ives Chambers.
I am always nervous about going to see a play that is related to the law. Invariably, I would find it unwatchable, with this or that aspect usually being wrong. Like when I used to watch The Bill on TV while studying at law school. Had they even read PACE?
So, the prospect of spending 90 minutes watching Jodie Comer (of, in particular, Killing Eve fame) portraying an actual barrister filled me with trepidation. I was wrong. Wow, was I wrong!
Comer plays Tessa, a successful criminal defence barrister. A girl made good from the working-class suburbs of Liverpool. She spends her days in court, defending the indefensible and largely those accused of sexual abuse (a point with which she grapples early on in her performance). Those she represents are the worst of the worst. She plays the game and wins. She does it with charisma, pathos and vigour.
Drawing on the working tools and fundamentals of this profession consistently and thoroughly, Comer never causes those who know the role well to lose interest. Everyone is entitled to representation; and as a barrister you are obliged to do your best for them. But what happens if, or when, you are yourself a victim of sexual abuse. One in three women are subjected to physical or sexual violence once in their lifetime. So, what happens when it is the barrister who is the victim of a sexual assault? An assault from another barrister. A barrister in your chambers. A barrister who is also an expert in criminal law. This is the situation which befalls Tessa. Raped, by her ‘boyfriend’, when she said no. Raped, by another barrister.
Who does the court – your workplace – believe? Comer is fantastic in this one-woman show. She is wholly believable as an ambitious lawyer and, sadly, too as a rape victim.
Comer executes the fine line between being a barrister and being human brilliantly, the two often mistaken for the same thing. She reminds us that, sadly, we may also as legal professionals find ourselves at the mercy of the court in one way or another. She grapples with the difficulties that we face as humans in the profession, and also how clients may feel when entrusting us as their advocates and our justice system with their lives, with beautiful balance.
It is wonderfully written by Suzie Miller, who takes us on a journey of beguile and ultimately destruction. We sit mesmerised as an audience by the set, the performance and the oratory. Comer’s costume and set changes are seamless.
She holds the audience in absolute captivation by way of her performance. One actor: 90 minutes. Comer is charming, vulnerable and ultimately us. By that I mean anyone who has faced bullying, abuse and or despair. She holds us in her hands, and dictates our emotions, our anger and for many in the audience, our tears.
The criminal justice system is itself held to trial; and as perhaps is unsurprising to any of us with even a mere understanding, found to be failing. One in three. The system is failing; but this production is not. Absolutely five stars!
Update from the Chair of the Bar
By Clement Cowley, Partner at The Penny Group
Modernising communication and collaboration at a leading Chancery set. A Zexi case study
How to build profile without compromising professional duties. By Naumaan Farooq, Co-Founder of Inked PR
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs, examines the role of cut-off levels, and the wider range of factors that must be considered when interpreting results for family court proceedings
Endometriosis Awareness North, a charity raising awareness of endometriosis and supporting those affected across the North of England, has received a £500 boost from AlphaBiolabs via the company’s Giving Back initiative
A decade of reviews and research has disrupted accepted thinking in the search for causality. Suicides following abuse have overtaken domestic homicides. Is the law keeping up? Professor Susan Edwards KC (Hon) examines recent cases and the obstacles to successful prosecution
The case against judge-only justice – and why efficiency is not enough. By Professor Leslie Thomas KC
Heritage as an anchor and a compass, finding our common humanity and embracing the power of the outsider – Melina Antoniadis’s lessons learnt
Seeing the full picture – Baljit Ubhey OBE outlines the CPS action plan to tackle violence against women and girls, offering insights directly relevant to courtroom practice
Lauren Fullerton examines the how, what and why of setting up a second chambers base
