Initial Cast Set For THE PELICOT TRIAL at Young Vic

The Young Vic has announced initial casting for the UK premiere of Milo Rau and Servane Dècle's The Pelicot Trial, a profoundly affecting piece of documentary theatre presented across four-hours at London County Hall (Home to Agatha Christie's Witness for the Prosecution) on 30 November 2026. Tickets go on general sale on Wednesday 7 October.

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 are among the 30 artists and public figures who will perform this one-off special event with further casting to be announced in the coming weeks.

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.

Comprised of testimonies and written accounts from the trail, police files, social commentary and psychiatric reports of the 51 men who were prosecuted as part of Gisèle Pelicot's Case this special performance forms an urgent statement on the prevalence of sexual violence and its legal treatment. The play, which was developed in collaboration with journalists, anthropologues, and local feminist organisations in France, received its world premiere at the Vienna Festival and has toured internationally to cities including Avignon, New York, Lisbon, Milan, and Bergen performed by a different company in each city.

The Young Vic has announced that The Pelicot Trial will also be live streamed world-wide for the duration of the performance to ensure as many people as possible can access this tribute to an ordinary woman who sparked a global reckoning, opening the way for change. The live-stream will be free to access via the Young Vic Youtube channel for the duration between 6-10pm on 30 November.