Cynthia Erivo led Susanna White's screen adaptation of Suzie Miller's play Prima Facie, a barrister's story that reached the Royal Festival Hall as a festival gala.
Cynthia Erivo, Elphaba in Wicked, led Prima Facie at its UK premiere, a gala at the Royal Festival Hall on the South Bank on Tuesday 13 October 2026. Susanna White directed the film from Suzie Miller’s play.
Erivo was born in Stockwell in 1987 to Nigerian parents and was raised by her mother, a nurse. Her production company, Edith’s Daughter, takes its name from her mother. She began a music psychology degree before moving to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, graduating in 2010.
Her Broadway debut as Celie in The Color Purple won her a Tony, a Grammy and a Daytime Emmy. On screen she was nominated twice for the Academy Award for Best Actress, for Harriet and for Wicked. She was appointed MBE in the 2026 New Year Honours.
Miller wrote the screenplay from her own play. Tessa is a barrister who wins by defending men accused of sexual assault, until she becomes the complainant in a case of her own. She must then face the system she trusted.
Daniel Ings, Toheeb Jimoh, Noma Dumezweni and Elliot Levey complete the cast. Erivo also gave a Screen Talk during the festival.