The Pelicot Trial
Milo Rau & Servane Dècle
With society as a witness.
The Pelicot trial shocked the world in 2024. Her husband and 50 other men were found guilty of the systematic drugging and rape of Gisèle Pelicot over a period of nearly ten years.
Pelicot waived her right to anonymity and decided that the trial should be held in open court. In the courtroom, she declared that she wanted ‘the whole of society to be a witness’. She instantly became a feminist icon, carrying the message that shame must change sides – from the victim to the perpetrator.
This evening, Johanneskirken will be transformed into a courtroom, where Ane Dahl Torp, Ellen Horn, Jae Nyamburah and 26 actors from Det Norske Teatret recreate the trial in a four-hour performance.
Milo Rau and Servane Dècle have staged the trial in Vienna, Lisbon, Warsaw and Stockholm, with future performances scheduled in Milano and New York. The production is performed only once in each city.
‘Through The Pelicot Trial, it is ourselves and our society that are on trial,’ says Milo Rau. With this production, he seeks to force society to confront patriarchal violence, victim-blaming and the evasion of responsibility.
In this meeting of documentary theatre and a reading of documents related to the trial, Rau and Dècle explore what may lie behind the horrific acts to which Gisèle Pelicot was subjected, in a powerful production that Le Monde has described as ‘a landmark in the art of theatre’.
Gisèle Pelicot. Photo: Christophe Simon, AFP
‘By transforming a trial into a work of art, Milo Rau and Servane Dècle prove that theater can be a powerful vehicle for change.’ – Viral Mag
Milo Rau. Foto: Marc Driessen Servane Dècle. Foto: darkblue Forestillingsbilde fra oppsetning i Wien av Prozess Pelicot. Foto: Nurith Wagner-Strauss Forestillingsbilde fra oppsetning i Wien av Prozess Pelicot. Foto: Nurith Wagner-Strauss Forestillingsbilde fra oppsetning i Wien av Prozess Pelicot. Foto: Nurith Wagner-Strauss Forestillingsbilde fra oppsetning i Wien av Prozess Pelicot. Foto: Nurith Wagner-Strauss
Ane Dahl Torp, Ellen Horn og Jae Nyamburah på Det Norske Teatret. Foto: Ole Herman Andersen Ane Dahl Torp, Ellen Horn og Jae Nyamburah på Det Norske Teatret. Foto: Ole Herman Andersen
Language
Performed in Norwegian
Practical information
The performance contains detailed descriptions of sexual violence. The recommended age limit is 16.
The performance has no intermission, but audience members may leave and re-enter during the performance, stretch their legs, and take breaks. We recommend bringing a seat cushion for the benches in Johanneskirken.
A care support team will be present and available before, during and after the performance for questions, thoughts and reflections that may arise.
Ticket proceeds will be donated to the Norwegian National Association Against Sexual Abuse (LMSO). LMSO is an advocacy organisation working to strengthen society’s understanding of, and response to, sexual violence.
Do you need help or someone to talk to? There are many anonymous and free support centres and helplines available, including in English. See the overview at lmso.no.
Contributors
Milo Rau, Servane Dècle research, text, direction
Nastasia Griese project dramaturgy
Ane Dahl Torp, Ellen Horn, Jae Nyamburah actors
Special thanks to Adèle Bossard, Caroline Darian, Jean-Philippe Deniau, Lola Lafon, Britta Sandberg and Center Nobert Elias CNRS-Marseille.
More contributors to be announced
A co-production between
Bergen International Festival and Det Norske Teateret
A project of Vienna Festival (Wiener Festwochen) | Free Republic of Vienna in cooperation with Festival d'Avignon.
The performance will also take place in Oslo at Hovudscenen at Det Norske Teatret during Heddadagene on 8 June 2026.
