A Play by Françoise Gillard

On September 15, 2026, in Nicosia, a production by the legendary Comédie-Française will be presented for the first time in Cyprus—a theatrical adaptation of the autobiographical work Happening by French writer and Nobel Prize laureate Annie Ernaux.

The production was created and is performed by renowned French actress and director Françoise Gillard. It is an intimate one-woman show in which a woman’s personal story becomes a powerful and poignant statement about freedom, the right to choose, and society’s attitude toward the female body.

The story is set in France in 1963, when abortion was a criminal offense. A young student discovers she is pregnant and is faced with the necessity of making a decision that, under the circumstances of that time, was practically impossible to carry out safely and legally. Three months of fear, loneliness, humiliation, and despair become a struggle for the right to control her own life.

Decades later, Annie Ernaux revisits this traumatic experience with utmost honesty. On stage, Françoise Gillard transforms the writer’s personal confession into a universal story that prompts reflection on how free a person truly is in making decisions about their own body.

The production is particularly relevant today, as issues of reproductive rights and personal autonomy are once again at the center of public debate.

Tickets

• Section A — €30
• Section B — €25 / €20 (reduced)
• Section C — €20 / €15 (reduced)
• Section D — €15

Discounted tickets are available to seniors aged 65 and older, students, the unemployed, and people with disabilities; people with disabilities are admitted free of charge upon presentation of a valid ID.