»Inter Alia« by Suzie Miller | The right of mothers?

Successful author not only in London's Westend: Suzie Miller Photo: imago/Panama Pictures It was three years ago that Suzie Miller's play "Prima Facie" was played up and down on stages large and small in German-speaking countries. In a sense, it was a dramatic contribution to the me-too debate. A monologue for a woman, finely composed, with numerous jumps in time and changes of perspective. In English, a well-made play is called a piece that is characterized by a certain level of technical perfection on the part of the author, by an exciting plot, accentuated dialogues, but not so much by depth in the character drawing or a special philosophical superstructure.

Audiences and critics often leave such plays perplexed in this country, where there is a completely different theater tradition. The Australian-British author Miller, who worked as a lawyer before becoming a playwright, also hits a nerve in German-speaking countries.

Her play about a lawyer explores the limits of jurisprudence when it comes to ensuring justice, especially in questions of sexual abuse. The author cleverly arranged a story in which the victim herself works as a lawyer. She knows all the tricks and shortcomings of the system - and yet succumbs to it.

Miller doesn't provide the audience with answers, but he does provide plenty of questions. In the UK, her piece has sparked a new debate about prevailing legal practices. It shifts the focus away from a simple court ruling and directs it to the complex situation of sexual assault.

Now Suzie Miller's latest play entitled "Inter Alia" is being performed on stages in Germany and Austria. Ten theaters have added it to their repertoire for the current season. This Saturday the Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus is kicking things off.

Miller also draws on her legal experience for “Inter Alia”. And this piece is also about sexual abuse. Jessica is a successful judge who fought her way through a male-dominated field. She has to balance her life between career and motherhood, her role as wife and friend. In all of this, she wants to satisfy her feminist demands on herself. There are also conflicts with her husband Michael, a lawyer.

When allegations of rape are made against her 17-year-old son Harry, Jessica's world view is thrown out of whack. Who failed here? Herself? The father who failed to serve as a positive role model? Jessica fails. But what about? As a mother, as a judge or as a feminist?

Unlike »Prima Facie«, the play not only illuminates the gap between jurisprudence and justice, but also questions one's own claims when it comes to the immediate family. Here too, an ultimately cynical gesture overshadows faith in the justice system. By addressing the responsibility of the individual participants, the piece shows sexual violence as a collective problem.

It is almost certain that “Inter Alia,” like its predecessor, will find an audience. Suzie Miller tackles the big and difficult topics, doesn't shy away from emotions, but above all she finds the neuralgic points in our enlightened self-image.

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