Le procès d'une vie: Play on Gisèle Halimi's 1972 Bobigny Trial Wins Three Molières
The play "Le procès d'une vie," co-written by Barbara Lamballais and Karina Testa, dramatizes the 1972 Bobigny trial where lawyer Gisèle Halimi secured the acquittal of Marie-Claire Chevallier, a 16-year-old girl prosecuted for having an abortion. The trial became a landmark for women's rights in France, exposing the injustice of anti-abortion laws that disproportionately affected working-class women. The play, which began development in 2018 while Halimi was still alive, is meticulously researched with input from legal professionals. It recently won three awards at the Molières ceremony. The production runs at Théâtre du Splendid in Paris until January 2027 and will be performed at Théâtre des Gémeaux in Avignon from July 4 to 25, 2026.
Key facts
- The play 'Le procès d'une vie' focuses on Gisèle Halimi's role in the 1972 Bobigny trial.
- Marie-Claire Chevallier was 16 when she was raped and became pregnant, leading to an illegal abortion.
- Her rapist reported her to authorities, hoping for leniency in his own case.
- Halimi used the trial to challenge France's anti-abortion law, highlighting class disparities.
- Chevallier was acquitted; other defendants received symbolic sentences.
- The Bobigny case helped pave the way for the 1975 Veil Law legalizing abortion in France.
- The play was co-written by Barbara Lamballais and Karina Testa, starting in 2018.
- It won three Molière awards at the most recent ceremony.
- The production is staged at Théâtre du Splendid in Paris until January 2027.
- It will run at Théâtre des Gémeaux in Avignon from July 4 to 25, 2026.
Entities
Artists
- Barbara Lamballais
- Karina Testa
- Gisèle Halimi
- Marie-Claire Chevallier
- Simon Gosselin
- La Ciguë
Institutions
- Théâtre du Splendid
- Théâtre des Gémeaux
- Molières
- RFI
Locations
- Bobigny
- France
- Paris
- Avignon