Things to do
BADASS BE THY NAME: Comedy trio Police Cops perform their new, 90s inspired comedy show Badass Be Thy Name. The vampire-slaying horror epic is set in a gritty northern town in 1999, complete with a 90s rave soundtrack. Soho Theatre, from £11, book ahead, 27 January-1 February
HALF OF A YELLOW SUN: National Theatre screens 2013 film Half Of A Yellow Sun, adapted from a book of the same name and starring Thandie Newton and Anika Noni Rose. It's about two sisters from a wealthy 1960s Nigerian family, and the different paths they face on returning to their homeland following their schooling in England. National Theatre, £6/£4, book ahead, 5.15pm
FRIENDSHIP BRACELETS: Embrace your inner '90s kid and take your besties along to Drink, Shop & Do to fashion your own friendship bracelets. Unlike when you were a kid, booze is available to help the creative process along, and all materials are provided. Drink, Shop & Do (King's Cross), £5, book ahead, from 6pm
QUEER YEAR AHEAD: Hear astrologer Francesca Lisette, chat to author Sarah Shin about the astrology of 2020 through a feminist and queer lens. They forecast the movements of the planets such as Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto in relation to issues such as #MeToo, abortion, and trans rights, and look at how major retrogrades of Venus and Mars highlight issues of gender, relationships and identity. Waterstones Gower Street, £10/£8, book ahead, 6.30pm
BREXIT IMPLICATIONS: Hear a panel of experts discuss the implications of Brexit on the UK economy. Find out what the forecasts are for different sectors once the UK leaves the EU, and how accurate these forecasts are likely to be. LSE (Holborn), free, just turn up, 6.30pm-8pm
THE VOLUNTEER: Jack Fairweather, author of The Volunteer, tells the true story of a Polish resistance fighter who infiltrated Auschwitz. The event marks Holocaust Memorial Day, and goes into how Witold Pilecki worked to uncover the atrocities of Auschwitz. National Army Museum (Chelsea), free, book ahead, 6.30pm
ALL THAT SCRATCH: Attend a live recording of musical theatre podcast All That Scratch. The hour-long show is a chance for new writers to showcase their work, and to tell the stories behind it in interviews. The Other Palace (Victoria), £5, book ahead, 7pm
ALICE RUSSELL: Soul singer Alice Russell performs an intimate, in the round concert. Hear her emotional tones as she performs tracks from her new album, released later this year, live for the first time. Roundhouse (Camden), £20-£25, book ahead, 7pm
COMEDY: Award-winning comedian Laura Davis offers an hour of her newest work as she hones it for her upcoming shows. We don't yet know what it's about, but for a fiver, why not give it a go? Pleasance Theatre (Islington), £5, book ahead, 7.45pm
COMEDY GALA: For a more rounded comedy night, catch the Glasgow International Comedy Festival Burns Night Comedy Gala. Janey Godley hosts, with performances from Arabella Weir, Simon Munnery, Craig Campbell, Susie McCabe, Stuart Mitchell, Harriet Kemsley and Olga Koch. Leicester Square Theatre, £15-£18, book ahead, 8.30pm
Tube ponderings with Barry Heck
Our resident tube fancier dishes out daily thoughts on the London Underground.
My Roundel of the Week comes from Kilburn station. This Jubilee stop has its entrance in the London Borough of Brent, though its eastern section spill over into Camden. Nevertheless, it's sporting some of these celebratory roundels, marking Brent as London's Borough of Culture(s) 2020. I was lucky enough to catch this one just as the sun was kissing the Brentian rooftops.
Follow Barry on Twitter @HeckTube.
Good cause of the day
Creative hub Matthews Yard in Croydon is closing in February, but a crowdfunder has been set up to help it find a new home. New premises have been located, but £50,000 is needed to cover the cost of relocation.
What we're reading
- The final photos by a London free runner who fell to his death.
- A luxury hotel with a secret tunnel to Harrods is being built.
- Wheelchair user highlights the troubles disabled people face when using public transport.
- Restaurant critic Jay Rayner unimpressed by The Dorchester's latest offering.
