Cynthia Erivo says Prima Facie film sharpens her outrage at sexual violence

The West End and Broadway stage play Prima Facie has been adapted into a film, with Cynthia Erivo taking the lead role. Erivo plays a barrister who specialises in sexual assault cases and then becomes a victim of sexual violence herself. The film is described as a fight for justice and is due out next month.

The original play won Jodie Comer an Olivier Award and a Tony Award. Erivo said she spoke to Comer about the role. She had not seen the stage production because she was busy with other work at the time. They discussed the emotional cost of the part and how much it takes from the performer.

The film centres on sexual violence and consent. In the coverage, Erivo said the subject had sharpened her outrage. She said it helped her understand how people can allow themselves to think consent is murky, and how the law sees and treats consent. She said: 'I'm now quite fired up about making sure that people understand that unless it's a yes, it is a no.'

Erivo also argued that victims speaking out can help others. She pointed to a student at Cornell University in the United States and to activist Giselle Pelicot. She said the two women are worlds apart and have very different life experiences, but both are victims of the same crime. She said she is glad more people are speaking up, because the less people speak, the less things can change.

She added that the law should evolve with the people who have to deal with its consequences, and said she does not know that it has. The coverage also noted that one in three women are sexually assaulted in their lifetime, but only one in 10 report it to police.

The release puts Erivo back in the public eye. She was asked about the pressure of fame after her Wicked co-star Ariana Grande stepped back from public view. Erivo said being in the spotlight is always a challenge. She said performers have to be conscious of what it takes from them physically and mentally, and must decide when to take a break. She said she is reaching a point where it may be time to breathe a little, and that people sometimes have to get there before reaching a breaking point.

Erivo wants the film to encourage conversation now, in the hope of preventing sexual violence in the future.