A Liverpool Star at Her Peak: Jodie Comer Sells Out Prima Facie Tour
Jodie Comer, the Liverpool-born actress best known for her breakout role in Killing Eve, is making headlines across the UK this week for all the right reasons. Her one-woman stage production of Prima Facie has just concluded a triumphant UK and Ireland tour, culminating in a sold-out run at Liverpool's Playhouse Theatre — a homecoming that has drawn widespread praise and personal tributes from those closest to her.
Written by Suzie Miller, Prima Facie casts Comer as Tessa, a barrister who specialises in defending people accused of sexual assault — a role that demands extraordinary emotional range and physical stamina over a single unbroken performance. Comer previously won a Tony Award for the play's Broadway run, and the UK tour, which opened at London's Richmond Theatre in January 2026 and wrapped in March, has only cemented her reputation as one of the most complete stage and screen talents of her generation.
Katarina Johnson-Thompson Leads the Praise
Among those moved by Comer's performance was world champion heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson, her former classmate at St Julie's Catholic High School in Liverpool. Speaking to BBC Radio Merseyside, Johnson-Thompson did not hold back her admiration. "The show was incredible, and I'm so happy that she brought Tess back to Liverpool and to the Playhouse — it was a very special evening," she said. "Jodie's super, super talented, and just to see her do that and stand on that stage... you were just speechless afterwards."
The two friends have followed strikingly parallel trajectories: Johnson-Thompson, a double world champion and Olympic silver medallist, is herself preparing for a landmark year with the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the European Championships in Birmingham on the horizon. Their shared roots in Liverpool and mutual support have made their friendship a compelling story of dual excellence.
The Death of Robin Hood: Comer's Next Major Screen Challenge
Even as the applause from Prima Facie fades, Comer's film career is surging forward at pace. Her most anticipated upcoming project is The Death of Robin Hood, a period thriller directed by Michael Sarnoski — the filmmaker behind Pig and A Quiet Place: Day One. The film has now officially confirmed a UK release date of Wednesday, 2 September 2026.
Distributed by A24, the film reimagines the legendary English outlaw in a deliberately dark and visceral register. Hugh Jackman stars as an aged Robin Hood — weary, battle-worn, and facing what he believes is a fatal injury — who falls into the hands of a mysterious woman played by Comer, who offers him an unexpected chance at reckoning and redemption. The cast also includes Bill Skarsgård, Murray Bartlett, and Noah Jupe.
A Director With High Expectations
Sarnoski has spoken candidly about the weight of the project. "It has been an incredible opportunity to reinvent and freshly innovate the story we all know of Robin Hood," he said. "Securing the perfect cast to transform the script to screen was essential. I could not be more thrilled and trusting in Hugh and Jodie to bring this story to life in a powerful and meaningful way."
The pairing of Jackman — who returned to blockbuster glory in Deadpool & Wolverine in 2024 and is rumoured to appear in future Avengers instalments — with Comer signals A24's ambition to position The Death of Robin Hood as a prestige event film rather than a conventional action retelling.
Context: A Career Built on Chameleonic Range
For those tracking Comer's ascent, 2026 represents the culmination of a carefully constructed body of work. She first seized global attention as the magnetic and psychopathic Villanelle in Killing Eve, a role that showcased her ability to blend menace with dark humour. Since then, she has demonstrated a determination to resist typecasting — taking on Prima Facie on Broadway and in the West End, starring alongside Matt Damon and Adam Driver in Ridley Scott's The Last Duel, and delivering a critically acclaimed performance in Jeff Nichols' The Bikeriders, where she adopted a precise 1960s Chicago accent to portray Kathy Bauer, the spirited wife of a motorcycle club member. That film is currently available to stream on Prime Video.
Her willingness to move fluidly between stage and screen, between American independent cinema and British prestige television, has made her one of the most discussed names whenever major franchise casting decisions are floated. Fan conversations around the next James Bond film, for instance, have increasingly included Comer as a leading candidate for a prominent female role — recognition of her blend of physical commitment, dramatic intelligence, and international star power.
Broader Implications: Redefining What a British Star Looks Like in 2026
Comer's current moment reflects a wider shift in how British talent operates on the global stage. Where previous generations of UK actors often followed a relatively linear path from theatre to prestige TV to Hollywood, Comer has collapsed those distinctions entirely — treating a Tony-winning one-woman play, a crime film with Tom Hardy, and a mythological A24 thriller as equally valid expressions of the same artistic ambition.
Her sell-out return to Liverpool with Prima Facie is also culturally significant. At a time when regional British cities are asserting their cultural identities with renewed confidence, Comer's choice to close a landmark tour in her hometown — rather than simply in London — resonates beyond the theatrical world. It is a statement about where she comes from and, perhaps, where British storytelling itself is heading.
With The Death of Robin Hood arriving in September and her stage legacy already secure, Jodie Comer is not merely having a good year. She is defining what creative ambition looks like for British actors in the mid-2020s.
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