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.
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who → base → 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.
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trial → perform → place
This autumn, it is coming to London County Hall, the home of Agatha Christie’s Witness for the Prosecution.
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it → come → Prosecution
“I saw it in French originally – all four hours of it.
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I → see → 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.
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which → drop → performance
“It was the act of witnessing that really got me: it is long-form and testimonial in form.”
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it → witness → form
Fall expects the show to sell out immediately.
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show → expect → ?
“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.
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Fall → ’ → telly
The full cast will be announced before tickets go on sale in the coming weeks.
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tickets → announce → weeks
Fall added: “The ensemble rehearses together just once.
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ensemble → add → ?
That allows you to call up the best of people who are available for a short commitment.
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who → allow → commitment
I really can’t wait to announce the company.
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I → wait → company
It is, I think, 27 actors all in all.
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I → think → ?
The play was created by Milo Rau and Servane Dècle.
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play → create → Rau
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.
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director → know → despot
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 2011, drugged her unconscious and invited dozens of men from an internet forum to rape her.
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who → become → her
Her husband was sentenced to 20 years in prison in December 2024 and guilty verdicts were returned for all 51 accused men.
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verdicts → sentence → men
She wanted the story to be public, saying “shame must change sides”.
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shame → want → sides
“We do it one time only in each city,” said Rau.
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Rau → do → city
“It is a harsh watch,” said Dècle, “but people stay for the whole time.
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people → say → time
We let them come in and out if they want, but very few do.
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few → let → ?
Even Gisèle Pelicot herself came to watch in New York.
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Pelicot → come → York
She said, ‘The actress was doing better than I did on trial.’”
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I → say → 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.
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what → cover → court
“Everyone wanted to share with us,” said Rau.
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Rau → want → us
“It became a trial of our society, of the patriarchy.
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It → become → patriarchy
And we have toured it in at least 15 different countries, in different languages, some I barely understand myself, and the audience still understands the play.
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audience → tour → play
It just floors you,” said Fall.
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Fall → floor → you
The large majority of the audience has been female, Dècle said.
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Dècle → say → audience
“I wish more men would see it.
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men → wish → it
The very interesting thing about this whole affair is you can really dive into who these male perpetrators were.”
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perpetrators → dive → affair
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.
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she → say → that
She’s in love and lives her life.
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She → ’ → life
That is two fingers up to the patriarchy and I think that is really empowering for us women.
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that → think → women
She agreed to the play, the writers said, because she wanted to keep the conversation that was started by her trial going.
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that → agree → trial
“We always say she opened the door, and we just keep it open,” said Rau.
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Rau → say → it
The Aporia
