“The Pelicot Trial” debuts in Britain: 30 artists on the London County Hall stage for the Gisèle Pelicot case

The Young Vic has announced the initial cast for the British premiere of “The Pelicot Trial”, the documentary theatre piece by Milo Rau and Servane Dècle about the trial that, as BroadwayWorld reports, is one of the most discussed court cases of our time.

The four-hour show will be performed for one night only, on 30 November, at London County Hall — the London home of Agatha Christie’s “Witness for the Prosecution”. Tickets go on general sale on 7 October.

Among the 30 artists and public figures who will take the stage are Adjoa Andoh, Nicole Ansari-Cox, Lorraine Ashbourne, Leo Bill, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Alfred Enoch, Julie Hesmondhalgh, Rosie Jones, Kadiff Kirwan, Rosie O’Donnell, Tamzin Outhwaite, Jordan Stephens, Juliet Stevenson, Samuel West and Olivia Williams; the full cast is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

The work is built on testimonies and accounts from the trial, police files, social commentary and psychiatric reports on the 51 men convicted in the case of Gisèle Pelicot, the French woman who, with her decision to make the trial public — and with her words “shame must change sides” — became a symbol of resilience and of the fight against sexual violence. The show, created in collaboration with French journalists, anthropologists and feminist organisations, had its world premiere at the Vienna Festival and has toured cities such as Avignon, New York, Lisbon, Milan and Bergen, with different companies in each city. The producers are the Young Vic, Eleanor Lloyd Productions and Rebecca Stafford Productions, with the support of the Olwyn Foundation for Women and Girls.

The Young Vic has also announced that the show will be livestreamed worldwide, free of charge, on its YouTube channel, from 18:00 to 22:00 on 30 November, so that as many people as possible can follow this tribute to the woman who sparked a global reckoning.