On Wednesday 25th September 2024, from 7.30-9.30pm, Stroud Radical Reading Group will host a discussion of Prima Facie, an award-winning play exploring the patriarchal power of the law through the experiences of a young, brilliant barrister who has worked her way up from working-class origins (links to watch or read the play below). Together with the play, we will discuss two short pieces from a zine called “What About The Rapists?”, which looks at contemporary anarchist theory and practice on crime and justice (links to download these below). Relevant to the issues raised by the play, these readings will also connect back to our previous two sessions (exploring anarchism in different ways), but you do not need to have attended the previous events to come along to this one.

Find links to resources related to the play and zine below, as well as information about the venue for our events and our group. We will meet at 10 John St, GL5 2AH.

Content warnings for sexual violence, rape specifically, and for the criminal justice system.

Resources

• By fortunate coincidence, the Subscription Rooms in Stroud are screening the National Theatre production Live on their big screen between September 17th and 18th (£14). It is also screening at Stroud Vue cinema from September 12th-26th, tickets from £19.99)
• If you can’t make those dates or afford the £14 tickets, you can also watch the play for free as a video on the Internet Archive website (1 hour, 40 minutes)
• The script of the play is also available as a book – together with colour photos and exclusive additional content- from the Yellow Lighted Bookshop (Nailsworth, Tetbury or Chalford pick up or delivery at £3.50). If you buy the book from the Yellow Lighted Bookshop via the previous link – RRP £12.99, when looking at your “basket” enter the “couponcode” stroudradical24 for a 12% discount – final book price £11.43, a saving of £1.56).
• Download a pdf featuring two excerpts from the “What About The Rapists?” zine: “On Crime” and “Beyond Reconciliation”
• Download a pdf of the full “What About The Rapists?” Zine from the Internet Archive.
• Suzie Miller on Instagram
• Finally, there is also a novellisation of the play, written by the same author, Suzie Miller. We intend to discuss the play (and the zine) rather than the novel – but radical readers may wish to read the novel as well.

About our events and the venue

Stroud Radical Reading Group events are free to attend, though we will make a collection to cover costs – please bring some cash. We try to create a comfortable discussion space for everyone, including people who have not been part of a reading group or been to university. Anyone is welcome to listen to the discussion, though we encourage contributions only from those who have read at least some of the book we are discussing.

We will meet at 10 John St, GL5 2AH. This is near the centre of town, a short walk from Stroud Railway Station and a slightly longer walk from the Merrywalks Bus Station. There are stands to lock bikes to outside, and parking for cars nearby in either Brunel Mall, Fawkes Place, or Church St car park. There is a low step to enter the building, which is flat. There are no toilet facilities. Please get in touch if you’d like to get more of an idea of what the sessions are like or if you have any accessibility needs.

About the play

“Tessa is a young, brilliant barrister who has worked her way up from working-class origins to the top of her game: defending, cross-examining and winning. But when an unexpected event forces her to confront the patriarchal power of the law – where the burden of proof and morality diverge – she finds herself in a world where emotion and integrity are in conflict with the rules of the game.

After acclaimed productions in Australia and winning the Australian Writers’ Guild Award for Drama, Prima Facie received its European premiere in a sold-out run at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London’s West End in 2022 starring Jodie Comer in her West End debut. It was named Best New Play at both the 2023 Olivier and WhatsOnStage Awards. A filmed version, released in 2022, went on to become the highest-grossing event cinema release ever in the UK.”

About the zine

“This zine looks at contemporary anarchist theory and practice on
crime and justice, though it won’t be using these terms. The first half will be a critical examination of Transformative Justice-based
accountability processes, an approach with origins in US anarchist circles now taking seed in parts of Europe. The other half looks at retributive approaches, such as survivor-led direct action against rapists.”