Kitchen revolution: the Belarusian dinner parties igniting debate in London

For Britain’s squeamish middle classes, dinner party politics is the ultimate taboo. For the Belarus Free Theatre, dissent at the dinner table is central to their country’s cultural heritage.

Inspired by the underground dinner parties that spread through Soviet Belarus in the 1990s, the Belarus Free Theatre’s latest series, Kitchen Revolution, centres on good food and political debate.

Guests gather at a prearranged meeting point before being taken to a secret London location and treated to a traditional Georgian feast.

The real show takes place over the meal itself: a lively, in depth discussion tackling questions on crony capitalism, corporate lobbying, and the political system.

The underground troop’s latest event takes place on 30 November, and sets out to ask diners: is our democracy being sold to the highest bidder?

Participation isn’t mandatory, but if you’ve got a voice that needs to be heard, then audience members can get involved with the discussion alongside top journalists and activists, including Lauren Penny and Hazel Healy, and Jamie Kelsey-Fry.

For more information, visit the Belarus Free Theatre website here.