Things To Do This Week In London: 14-20 August 2023

All week

ALICE IN WONDERLAND: All this week, Wild Immersive Theatre perform Alice in Wonderland in the open air at Chelsea Physic Garden. The production is suitable for all ages and lasts around an hour, taking the form of a promenade performance through the gardens. 14-20 August

MAGICAL SCIENCE: Nutty Scientists are going full STEAM ahead with their last week of interactive shows at Waterloo’s The Sidings. At Magical Science, kids can make water disappear, cause heavy objects to float mid-air, and even create indoor lightning! Tickets cost £10 per child, with no additional charge for their parent or guardian – get yours here. 14-20 August (sponsor).

SUMMER SOUNDS: Free music festival Summer Sounds continues at King's Cross, with live performances every evening, and a family-friendly finale day on Sunday. Drag artist and singer Asifa Lahore performs on Tuesday, pianist and singer Joe Stilgoe on Thursday, and Çiğdem Aslan on Friday, among others. FREE, until 20 August

MORPH TRAIL: This is the final week of London's free Morph Art Trail, which sees 56 Morph sculptures, each uniquely decorated, dotted around London — predominantly the City and South Bank. Once they're taken off display this week, they'll be auctioned off to raise money for Whizz-Kids. The Covent Garden gorilla sculpture trail sticks around for a while longer, if you're looking for something similar to do after this week. FREE, until 20 August

ROUNDHOUSE COMEDY FESTIVAL: The LOLs just keep coming at Roundhouse Comedy Festival. This week alone, the programme includes Sophie Duker, Christopher Bliss, Luke Rollason, Jordan Brookes, Katherine Ryan, Kane Brown and Daliso Chaponda, among others. Until 23 August

CAMDEN FRINGE: Camden's where it's all happening this week. In addition to the hijinks at Roundhouse (above), Camden Fringe is ongoing, bringing theatre, comedy, dance and spoken work performances to locations across the borough. Take a look at our picks or browse the full programme. Until 27 August

BBC PROMS: Classical musical festival the BBC Proms continues at the Royal Albert Hall and satellite venues. Highlights this week include German pianist Martin Helmchen making his Proms debut playing Brahms’s Second Piano Concerto, and the UK premiere of György Kurtág’s musical adaption of Samuel Beckett's absurdist play Endgame. Browse the full programme. Until 9 September

SUMMER HOLIDAYS: Feels like London's schools have already been closed for a lot longer than six weeks, but the summer holidays continue, as does our guide to things to do in the summer holidays, whether you want to visit museums, watch theatre shows, see the latest exhibitions, or escape the capital for a while, all with kids and teenagers in tow.

EAT OF THE WEEK: Beetroot curry, Waldorf salad, and pan con tomate are on the menu at Lorian, a new deli-eatery in Chelsea, specialising in hyper-seasonal, vegetable-forward eats. They also have an in-house bakery, with fresh pastries daily — yum!

MUSEUM OF THE WEEK: Pinner was not only home to Elton John, but the great Heath Robinson — the cartoonist who created all kinds of crackpot inventions (on the page at least). There's a marvellous museum dedicated to Robinson's work here — and right now it features a temporary exhibition of his fantastical illustrations for fairy tales by Hans Andersen and Charles Perrault.

DAY TRIP OF THE WEEK: Railway murals, an historic castle, a miniature railway, top nosh, and historic buildings — all reachable by train from London in around 35 minutes. That's Tonbridge — a Kent town that's completely separate from its better-known neighbour, Tunbridge Wells.

Monday 14 August

BARBIE RELAXED SCREENING: Barbican Cinema hosts a special relaxed screening of current blockbuster film Barbie. The event is tailored for a neurodiverse audience, with lights dimmed but not off, volume levels a little lower than usual, and the audience encouraged to move around and enter and leave the screen as needed. Audio description is also available. 6.10pm

EINSTEIN'S EQUATION: Science brains at the ready, as professor of natural philosophy Sean Carroll is at the Royal Institution to discuss the real Einstein's Equation, and explain why the geometry of spacetime has anything to do with gravity, and how this famous equation expresses how spacetime curves. 7pm-8.30pm

ZACH ZIMMERMAN: Rising comedy star Zach Zimmerman is at Foyles Charing Cross Road to discuss his new collection of essays, Is It Hot In Here?, with fellow comedian Phil Wang. The book covers Zimmerman's transformation from Bible-Belt-dwelling God-fearer, to queer atheist. 7pm-8.30pm

A NIGHT OF MOTOWN: A full live band plays Motown hits by the likes of The Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, The Supremes, The Temptations and Smokey Robinson at Camden's Jazz Cafe tonight. For an extra treat, book a restaurant table and enjoy dinner with the show. 7pm-10.30pm

MONDAYS IN LONDON: Looking for something else to do, today or any other week? Take a look at our guide to things to do in London on a Monday — we've gathered together live music venues, comedy and cabaret clubs which are in full swing on what is usually the quietest day of the week, along with guided walks and tours scheduled on a Monday, and special offers.

Tuesday 15 August

MUSICAL MURDER MYSTERY: Charles Court Opera present a musical murder mystery tour, Express G&S, at Wilton's Music Hall. It features every Gilbert & Sullivan opera crammed into 75 minutes, as a dubious detective, intriguing travellers and a pianist uncover clues and red herrings in an inventive and witty murder mystery. 15-18 August

PARENTS' PUB QUIZ: Parents and carers with young babies — today's lunchtime quiz at The Plough in East Dulwich is for you. Bring Your Baby pub quizzes are like regular ones, but with extra breaks to feed and change little ones. Max team size is six (adults) and prizes include chocolates, prosecco and beauty products. 12pm-2.30pm

OPEN MIC NIGHT: Spanning MCing, spoken word, painting and singing, Mixing It Together is an open mic night for anyone who feels they have something to say. Begin with a painting workshop accompanied by live DJs, followed by the premiere of a new short film, and then the open mic portion of the evening. Takes place at Rich Mix. FREE, 5pm

INTUITIVE DANCE: No dance experience is necessary for this intuitive dance session led by Laura Cherry of Rising Soul Dance, who leads you through breathwork, dance moves, and a period of meditative stillness. Takes place in the open air, on the lawns at Kew Gardens. 7pm-8pm

PUB QUIZ: Every Tuesday night, Big Penny Social beer hall in Walthamstow hosts Big Penny's Pub Quiz. It's a test of general knowledge as well as more niche skills — such as paper aeroplane making — with a £2 entry fee per player, going towards a £100 bar tab for the winning team, plus a rolling jackpot. 7.30pm

Wednesday 16 August

BOOKFEST: Across two days, Waterstones Piccadilly hosts a Bookfest with merch giveaways, quizzes, photobooth opportunities, collaging craft activities and workshops. Thursday is House of YA, when fans of fiction for young adults can take part in author panels, signings, bookish games, and workshops. 16-17 August

DICKENSIAN SERVANTS: What was it really like to be a house servant in the Victorian period? Author Christine Skelton is at the Charles Dickens Museum to give a free talk about her research into the domestic household of Charles Dickens — including why we often don't know much about the servants of the time. FREE, 3.30pm

EAT THE SCREEN: Catch a screening of 2022 film Alcarràs, about the pressures on a family farm. It's based on director Carla Simon's own experience growing up on a peach farm, but spirals into fiction, and is shown as part of Barbican Cinema's Eat The Screen series, focusing on the food industry. 6.25pm

TEEN MUSEUM LATE: Wellcome Collection stays open late for a special event for 14-19 year olds. They can explore the current Genetic Automata exhibition, which examines race and identity in an age of avatars, video games and DNA ancestry — and enjoy live music, workshops and free snacks and drinks. FREE, 6.30pm-9pm

COMEDY: Benjamin Lovell and Alexander Pankhurst host Top & Bottom Comedy, a new comedy night at The Book Club in Shoreditch. Expect to see both new and established comedians, either showcasing solid material, or testing out new sets. £3, 7.30pm

Thursday 17 August

COCKTAILS IN THE CITY: Boozy festival Cocktails in the City has its August outing at Bedford Square Gardens, with cocktail bars and masterclasses, live music, a silent disco and other entertainment. This month is The Travel Edition, with cocktails reflecting Mexico, Japan and tropical Tiki paradises. Café Pacifico, Chotto Matte, Laki Kane, Punch Room at London Edition, Kindred and The Aubrey at The Mandarin Oriental are among the London bars serving up tipples. 17-19 August

GARDEN HERBS WORKSHOP: Executive Chef Joe Fox hosts a workshop showing you how to make the most of any herbs growing in your garden. Learn to make items including a tarragon oil and fresh salsa verde, as well as how to keep herbs fresh for longer. The workshop is followed by a three-course meal, and all takes place at Number Sixteen in South Kensington. 12pm-3pm

AMAZING ANIMALS: Take the kids along to the Royal Institution for Amazing Animals, an interactive science show where the audience is challenged to complete certain tasks including logic puzzles, to pit their intelligence against certain species of animal, including chimps, parrots and dolphins. Aimed at age 7+. 2pm-3.15pm

POETRY OPEN MIC: Poems Not Bombs is a free open mic poetry afternoon, where poets of all experiences and levels are welcome to share their work. Takes place at The Spice of Life in Soho. FREE, 3pm

LIFE DRAWING: Artists of all levels from beginners upwards are invited to take part in a life drawing session at the Cartoon Museum. Cartoonist Chris Geary leads the evening — which is inspired by wood nymphs, fairies and folk tales. The museum's galleries will be open before the class, for anyone who arrives early. 6.30pm-8.30pm

INEZA: Belgian/Rwandan vocalist Ineza sings standards by the likes of Peggy Lee, Billie Holiday and Abbey Lincoln at Piano Smithfield tonight, backed by the Alex Webb Trio — in an evening celebrating female singer-songwriters. 8pm

Friday 18 August

ALL POINTS EAST: Stormzy, Haim, Aphex Twin, The Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs... just some of the impressive line-up at this year's All Points East Festival in Victoria Park, which also incorporates Field Day on Saturday. 18-28 August

FUJI MUSIC: The Africa Centre unveils a new exhibition and music showcase, Fuji: A Opera, telling the story of the Nigerian fuji music scene, which laid the groundwork for the better-known Afrobeats genre. The exhibition includes archive recordings, a photography wall of album covers and live performances, and a collection of fashion pieces worn by fuji artists. 18-28 August

50 YEARS OF SKATEBOARDING: Wheel your way back to the 1970s at Pure Evil Gallery, for London Calling!, an exhibition charting the rise of skateboarding in the UK, with a selection of photos, artefacts and more. 18 August-10 September

OF MOLLIES AND MEN: The Bow Street Police Museum offers a walking tour around Covent Garden, focusing on how law and order governed the lives of queer identifying people throughout history. Find out about 18th century Molly Houses (meeting places for gay men), and the trial of Oscar Wilde, through to the laws protecting LGBTQ+ people today. Age 18+. 11.30am

COMEDY IN THE CITY: As Bartholomew-tide hoves into view, Lester Hillman explores the history of comedy in the City of London — touching on songs, rhymes, literature, language, stained glass, art, cartoons, place names, and the Lord Mayor's Show. You can watch live at Shoe Lane Library, or online. FREE, 1pm-2pm

NOIR FEVER: Dance/electronic musician Aluna hosts a night celebrating the Black and queer roots of dance music at Somerset House, including House, UK garage, Soca, Dancehall and Afrobeats tracks, with performances by Conducta, Tash LC and Moodz. 6pm-10.30pm

DRAG COMEDY CABARET: Drag comedian Lady Bushra headlines tonight's Drag Comedy Cabaret at Queen of Hoxton in Shoreditch. Hear about life from a British South Asian perspective with heavy doses of humour, in a theatre/cabaret-style setting. 7pm

ICE DISCO: Take to the ice at Alexandra Palace — home to one of London's permanent ice rinks — while having a boogie at the final Summer Ice Disco of the season. Age 14+. 8pm-10pm

Saturday 19 August

FOOD WEEKEND: As part of the summer events programme at Greenwich Peninsula, focus is firmly on The Joy of Food this weekend. Take part in workshops on topics including cake decorating, as well as wine pairings and cheese tastings — or simply nosh your way around Canteen Food Hall and Greenwich Peninsula Market. 19-20 August

GOSPEL BRUNCH: Sundays at Boogaloo in Highgate mean Gospel Brunch — with the likes of eggs benedict and cinnamon pancakes dished up alongside live music (which starts at 3pm) from country/blues bands. DJs spin tunes for the rest of the day. Kitchen open 10am-6pm

SUMMER FAMILY FESTIVAL: The Shape of Us is the theme of a one-day family festival at the V&A in South Kensington. Make your own sculpture, take part in workshops, dancing and costume-making, watch performances in the galleries and enjoy storytelling sessions, all inspired by the new display of work by sculptor Thomas J Price. FREE, 11am-5pm

FOLK IN THE PARK: Head down to Sutton for Folk In The Park, a one-day festival of live music, food and drink, workshops and family activities. 13 bands and artists perform across two stages, including Nick Lowe, Del Amitri, and Dana Gillespie and the London Blues Band. The festival also has an eco market, food and drink stalls and other entertainment. 11am-9pm

DRAG SHOW BRUNCH: Jimbo the Drag Clown is the guest star of this week's Drag Show Brunch at Between The Bridges, along with stars of UK & US Drag Race. Kick things off with an hour of bottomless bubbly accompanied by drag tunes, followed by further performances, games, prizes, lip syncing and more. Food isn't included in the ticket but there's a selection of food vendors on site. 11.30am-3pm

SMOKESTAK: It's been 10 years since Smokestak started serving its melt-in-the-mouth smoked plates, and to celebrate, they're hosting a summer street party in Shoreditch with firepits, tunes, lager from 40FT Brewery, plus lashings of mouth-watering food. You'll need to book your slot, with start times available 12pm-5pm

PILOT TV LIVE: The Pilot TV podcast — which discusses the newest TV shows each week — holds a live recording show at Kings Place in King's Cross. Hear from Boyd Hilton, Kay Ribeiro and James Dyer about the latest shows, and what they're watching at the moment. 7pm

JAZZ, STEEL AND GOSPEL: The Tabernacle in Notting Hill lays on a night of jazz, steel pans and gospel music, with the help of Kenton Noel plus the Ebony Steel Band and a slew of DJs. 7pm-10.30pm

Sunday 20 August

LORD OF THE RINGS: Leicester Square's Prince Charles Cinema holds one of its legendary Lord of the Rings Trilogy screenings, when all three films are shown back-to-back with just a 10-minute break between each showing. 11am-11.02pm

CONTEMPORARY DANCE: London-based contemporary dance company Traceworks take over Wembley Park for a day of free performances and workshops. Throughout the afternoon there are three performances of their show Jack Defrost, followed by workshops so you can master the steps. FREE, 12pm-6pm

MORPH DAY: To coincide with the final day of the Morph Art Trail, there's a free day of Morph-themed activities at Summer by the River. Design your own morph, take part in an animation workshop to create part of a London Landscape scene, colour part of a huge colouring wall, catch free screenings of Morph's Epic Adventure, and buy your own Morph merch at a pop-up shop. FREE, 12pm-5pm

DON QUIXOTE: Barbican Cinema hosts a 50th anniversary screening of 1973 dance film Don Quixote, also known as The Impossible Dream, starring ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev at the peak of his career. The film was shot in an airport hangar in 40 degrees over 25 days, and has now been re-mastered, restored and re-orchestrated for the first time. 2.10pm

AD LIBRETTO: See a musical put together right before your eyes at live show AdLibretto, at the Museum of Comedy. Each show is unique with scenes, characters, music and lyrics improvised on the spot. 7pm (repeated — though with a completely different show — tomorrow)

BENNET KAVANAGH: Topics from lifts to d**k pics are covered in Bennet Kavanagh's WIP of his surreal musical outing, pithily titled One Shod, Sorry I’m Meant Shot, Can We Take That Again? It's on at Aces & Eights in Tufnell Park as part of the Camden Fringe Festival. 8pm (also on 21, 22, 25 and 26 August)

Museum treasure of the week

The recently reopened National Portrait Gallery now has a wonderful comedy corner in Room 28 on Floor 2 — featuring British greats including Victoria Wood, Morecambe & Wise, and the Beyond the Fringe team. There's also Angus McBean's portrait of Spike Milligan's head beneath a bell jar — an outtake from the 1961 album Milligan Preserved.

Good cause of the week

You might've already heard of Sister Midnight — an all-female music collective working on opening a grassroots music venue in Catford. In the meantime, they've launched a community radio station, championing music and the arts in south east London. Shows include Laani, DJ Gilla, Selextorhood Collective, Last Nubian, Rohan Rakhit, Deptford Northern Soul Club and Deptford Ravens Football Team. Give it a listen here.

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