Wednesday 11 november 2026
Venue: Buurtwerk Posthof - Patriottenstraat 62, 2600 Berchem
18:00 - 20:00 | Mourning Meal (4-course menu, drinks not included)
What if we stopped sweeping death under the table and instead served it up? And slowly tried to digest it. Together.
During this mourning meal, theatre-maker and performer Laila Claessen and chef Finn Thomas Gorringe take you on a journey through rituals and dishes associated with death and mourning from around the world. Around the table, we travel from India to Brittany, from Mexico to Tibet, before returning to the uncharted territory of what remains undigested, somewhere between belly and brain. Expect edible gold coins to pay the toll, bread with ash butter, a few bites of earth…
The meal is based on their performance Digesting Death — A festive mourning ritual in seven courses. Especially for the Festival of Mourning, Laila and Finn bring together a selection of dishes, stories and rituals from the performance around the table once again. Perhaps the evening will even end with a singing ghost slowly rising from the table…
Laila Claessen is a theatre-maker and performer. Finn Thomas Gorringe is a chef who has worked in several top-tier restaurants, including three-Michelin-starred establishments. Together, they explore what happens when gastronomy and performance merge, turning the dining table into a stage.
Expect an evening of eating, listening, talking, mourning and celebrating. "There's no better way to prove you're alive than by eating."
The mourning meal and performance will be in English.
Dietary requirements: The menu is entirely vegetarian. Unfortunately, individual adjustments for dietary requirements, allergies or intolerances are not possible. The only exception is a gluten-free diet, which can be accommodated if requested in advance.