The Pelicot Trial (18)

This event will be Live Streamed to HOME, directly from The Chamber at London County Hall, Home of Agatha Christie’s Witness for the Prosecution. 

The Young Vic, Eleanor Lloyd Productions and Rebecca Stafford Productions present: The Vienna Festival (Wiener Festwochen) | Free Republic of Vienna production of The Pelicot Trial

"Shame has to change sides."

The Pelicot trial is undoubtedly the most publicised, discussed, and symbolic of our time. As a sociological study it shows that in a typical Western European city – the small town of Mazan in the south of France – perfectly ordinary men from all social classes and age groups are capable of perhaps the most extreme crime: the repeated rape of an unconscious woman.

“Shame has to change sides.” Through these words and her decision to make her trial public, Gisèle Pelicot has become a symbol of resilience and the fight against sexual violence. Milo Rau and Servane Dècle's profoundly affecting piece of documentary theatre, comprised of testimonies and written accounts from the trial, pays tribute to the ordinary woman who opened the way to change. This is a special one-off performance, performed by a company of 30 actors and public figures.

The world premiere took place on June 18, 2025, as part of the Vienna Festival | Free Republic of Vienna.

Profits from this screening will go to the charity partners of Young Vic; Rape Crisis & Centre for Women's Justice.