A play based on the trial of the men who drugged and raped Gisèle Pelicot will come to London for one night only this November – and promises to feature a star-studded cast.
The four-hour production of The Pelicot Trial: Tribute to Gisèle Pelicot has been performed around the world, including in New York City and Avignon, the city in France where the trial took place. This autumn, it is coming to London County Hall, the home of Agatha Christie’s Witness for the Prosecution.
“I saw it in French originally – all four hours of it. It was jaw-dropping, harrowing, really emotional,” said Nadia Fall, artistic director and co-chief executive of the Young Vic, which is putting on the performance. “It was the act of witnessing that really got me: it is long-form and testimonial in form.”
Fall expects the show to sell out immediately. “Because it’s one night only, what we are able to do is ring our best actors, people you will know ‘off the telly’ as well,” Fall said. The full cast will be announced before tickets go on sale in the coming weeks.
Fall added: “The ensemble rehearses together just once. That allows you to call up the best of people who are available for a short commitment. I really can’t wait to announce the company. It is, I think, ۲۷ actors all in all.”
The play was created by Milo Rau and Servane Dècle. The Swiss director and playwright Rau is known for adapting court cases for the stage, including the Moscow trial of the Russian punks Pussy Riot and the trial of the Romanian despot Nicolae Ceaușescu.
Pelicot became internationally recognised after she waived her right to anonymity to ensure a public trial of her ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot, who, for almost a decade from ۲۰۱۱, drugged her unconscious and invited dozens of men from an internet forum to rape her. Her husband was sentenced to ۲۰ years in prison in December ۲۰۲۴ and guilty verdicts were returned for all ۵۱ accused men. She wanted the story to be public, saying “shame must change sides”.
“We do it one time only in each city,” said Rau. “It is more of a political act really, than a play.”
“It is a harsh watch,” said Dècle, “but people stay for the whole time. We let them come in and out if they want, but very few do. Even Gisèle Pelicot herself came to watch in New York. That was amazing. She said, ‘The actress was doing better than I did on trial.’”
Journalists covering the trial gave Rau and Dècle thousands of pages of their notebooks, and the play is based on what was said in court.
“Everyone wanted to share with us,” said Rau. “It became a trial of our society, of the patriarchy. And we have toured it in at least ۱۵ different countries, in different languages, some I barely understand myself, and the audience still understands the play. Sadly it is a universal experience. It would be better for humanity if this was just a French experience.”
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“It isn’t scenes and costumes in a set like a traditional piece of theatre. It is the facts. It just floors you,” said Fall.
The large majority of the audience has been female, Dècle said. “I wish more men would see it. The very interesting thing about this whole affair is you can really dive into who these male perpetrators were.”
Fall said: “Pelicot represents so much for everybody, especially women; resilience and courage and a radical joy for me that she triumphed and lives on. She’s in love and lives her life. That is two fingers up to the patriarchy and I think that is really empowering for us women. This piece and her story is not just about the specifics about her story and sexual assault.”
She agreed to the play, the writers said, because she wanted to keep the conversation that was started by her trial going. “We always say she opened the door, and we just keep it open,” said Rau.
