The documentary play The Pelicot Trial by Milo Rau and Servane Decle will have its UK premiere at London County Hall on 30 November, featuring an initial cast including Julie Hesmondhalgh, Adjoa Andoh and Juliet Stevenson. The event will be livestreamed worldwide for free on the Young Vic’s YouTube channel, highlighting urgent issues around sexual violence.

The Pelicot Trial, drawn from court documents and psychiatric reports detailing the trial of 51 men accused of drugging and raping Gisèle Pelicot, will receive its UK premiere on 30 November at London County Hall. This one-off event is part of the Young Vic’s recent season and will also be broadcast live on the Young Vic YouTube channel free of charge between 6pm and 10pm.

Tickets for the London event will go on general sale on 7 October. The production assembles a cast of 30 artists and public figures, with the first announced performers including 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 play serves as a stark sociological study exploring the prevalence of sexual violence and its legal handling in contemporary Western Europe. It focuses on the small French town of Mazan, illustrating how men from diverse social classes and age groups can commit the repeated and extreme crime of raping an unconscious woman.

Gisèle Pelicot, who publicly shared her trial and became a symbol of resilience, is quoted urging that “Shame has to change sides,” underscoring the play’s urgent political and social message. Created by Milo Rau and Servane Decle, the piece draws on documentary theatre methods to bring this difficult subject into the public forum.

Further cast announcements are expected in the weeks leading up to the performance. The live streaming of the UK premiere continues the Young Vic’s commitment to accessible, socially engaged work that bridges theatre and documentary.

This production adds to ongoing conversations in the theatre world about confronting sexual violence through art and examining the societal structures that enable it, reflecting wider trends towards documentary and verbatim theatre tackling urgent contemporary issues.