Free And Cheap Things To Do This Week In London: 26 March-1 April 2018

By Kyra Hanson Last edited 72 months ago

Looks like this article is a bit old. Be aware that information may have changed since it was published.

Free And Cheap Things To Do This Week In London: 26 March-1 April 2018

All week

Artist Elpida Hadzi-Vasileva draws attention to parts of the body we would sometimes rather forget. © Elpida Hadzi-Vasileva

INTERNAL BEAUTY: Pig stomach lining might not seem the most obvious of art materials but artist Elpida Hadzi-Vasileva has managed to create surprisingly beautiful works from animal organs. Gut wrenching stuff. Grant Museum of Zoology, free, just turn up, until 28 March

BATS AND SALAMANDERS: Marvin Gaye Chetwynd, the artist formerly known as Spartacus Chetwynd, is back with a collection of paintings with creatures protruding from the walls — including a giant bat, spotted salamanders and a lengthy caterpillar. Add in a creepy hand operated jack in the box and we have the artist back at her eccentric best. 62 Kingly Street, free, just turn up, until 7 April

RIDE A MODEL RAILWAY: A woodland adventure awaits inside Watford's Cassiobury Park. Within this 190-acre green space is the Watford Miniature Railway, a charming railway full of huff and puff and ready to take you through the woods, over level crossings and next to the River Gade. Cassiobury Park (Watford), £2, just turn up, weekends and school holidays

VISIT HAMPSTEAD HEATH: With Spring here (sort of), why not make the most of it and visit one of London's loveliest parks. Here's what you're missing.

Monday 26 March

To celebrate Napping Day, DoubleTree by Hilton are offering a limited number of napping rooms across the UK.

FREE NAP: The clocks have gone forward (yay), which means we lost an hour of sleep last night (boo!), luckily the Hilton are on hand to get you some shut-eye with pop up free napping stations across the UK, including at DoubleTree Hilton properties in Kingston and Westminster. DoubleTree by Hilton properties in Kingston and Westminster, free, book ahead via doubletree@grayling.com*, noon-2pm

PIMP YOUR HIP FLASK: Make your hip flask the envy of all hip flasks at this creative workshop. There will be gems, sequins and lots of glitter. Drink Shop & Do (King's Cross), £5, book ahead, 6pm

Tuesday 27 March

SHAKESPEARE'S ANCIENT GHOSTS: Whether you're studying Shakespeare or just a life long fan of the ol' bard, you should find this talk about the origins of many of the play's ghosts a fascinating one. Museum of London, free, just turn up, 6pm-7pm

KIZOMBA DANCE CLASS: Pick up some new moves, burn some calories and shake the stress of the day away at this fun, informal dance class, inspired by the Angolan style of dance, Kizomba, which translates as 'party'. Loop Bar, £3 for social dancing, book ahead, 6pm-11pm

THE TURN OF WOMEN ARTISTS: Shockingly, only two of the founding members of the Royal Academy were women. Thankfully things have changed a bit since 1768 and this exhibition rightly celebrates the work of female artists active between 1837 and 2018. Chris Beetles Gallery, free, just turn up, until 14 April

Wednesday 28 March

Spaces relating to suffrage in London are varied and, in some cases, no longer standing.

LOCATING LONDON'S SUFFRAGE LEGACY: This talk conjures up the people and places crucial to the suffragette campaign in London – some of which have been lost to the march of time. The National Archives (Kew), free, book ahead, 2pm-3pm

SCIENCE MUSEUM LATE: Visit the Science Museum tonight and immerse yourself in the world of Dr. Frankenstein. Listen to illustrated talks on the science behind Mary Shelley's gothic novel, join a battery making workshop and hear from author Marcus Chown, who will be discussing the Big Bang. Science Museum, free entry, book ahead (for ticketed events), 6.45pm-10pm

JAZZ JAM: This former sausage factory is now a lovely spot for canal-side drinking and tonight there's the added bonus of live jazz and late night DJs spinning vinyl. Plus stay for dinner and you can nab 10% off Slow Fire London's freshly prepared seasonal menu. Grow, Hackney Wick, free entry, just turn up 7pm-11pm

DRAGPROV: A selection of improv’s most fabulous kings and queens will drag themselves up on stage for a hilarious evening of gender-bending fun. Glitter up and raise the roof for London's finest LGBTQ+ acts. The Nursery Theatre (Liverpool Street), £5, book ahead, 8pm-10pm

WANDSWORTH COMMON BEER & CIDER FEST: This annual beer festival is throwing an extravagant six-day sesh to mark its tenth anniversary. Glug more than 150 top notch brews, munch street food, listen to DJs and nab some freebies. Le Gothique, Wandsworth Common, from £5, book ahead, until 2 April

Thursday 29 March

With crates deeper than you care to imagine DJ Tappa will be playing the finest selections of funk, classics and Hi-Life to more hard hitting Disco and House at NT's.

INTERNATIONAL PIANO DAY: Give the pianos at St Pancras International Station a whirl today with the help of a professional player or just listen out for live performances marking International Piano Day. St. Pancras International, free, just turn up, lessons 10am-noon, performances 11am-5.30pm

HEAVENLY JUKEBOX: Unusually, there's no online presence for the headline band audiobooks, so you'll just have to go out on a whim and get down to the Heavenly Jukebox to make your own judgment. The Social, free entry, just turn up, 6pm-late

XENOFEMINISM: How will the feminist agenda fare in an era of automation, globalisation and the digital revolution? Authors Helen Hester and Joanna Walsh discuss. Pages of Hackney (Clapton), £4, book ahead, 7pm-9pm

THE SOUL CELLAR 1ST BIRTHDAY: DJs from London's finest independent radio stations, NTS Radio, Reprezent and Netil Radio are taking over the decks for this late night birthday bash. NT's (London Fields), free, just turn up, 8pm-4am

Friday 30 March

Featuring realistic scenes and a heart moving crucifixion and resurrection, The Passion of Jesus is an unforgettable Easter experience.

THE PASSION OF JESUS: If Easter means more to you than chocolate eggs and time off work, make sure you're in the audience for The Passion of Jesus. More than 100 actors will reenact the day Jesus was arrested, tried and crucified by the Romans, two days before miraculously rising from the dead on Easter Sunday. We had a chat with Jesus a couple of weeks ago, actually. Trafalgar Square, free, just turn up, noon and 3.15pm (you'll want to get there early though — it gets busy)

Saturday 31 March

On the last Saturday of every month the William Morris Gallery is packed full of fun activities for families to make and do together.

FOREST CYANOTYPES: Get down to the William Morris Gallery today for a family collaging session using light-sensitive paper to create pictures that remind you of Epping Forest. William Morris Gallery (Walthamstow), free, just turn up, 1pm-4pm

LONDON X4 SEASONAL FILM FESTIVAL: From heartwrenching documentaries from Iraq and experimental films from India to outrageous shorts on male strippers there'll be something for all viewing habits at this short film festival. The Archivist's Gallery, £5, book ahead, 7pm-9.30pm

Sunday 1 April

Fast Fusion is a live pop-up music installation bringing artists from jazz and ‘world’ music genres together to write ten minutes of new work in just five hours.

FAST FUSION: What do you get when you put jazz and world music artists in a room for five hours? Find out at 5.15pm when the fruits of their labor will be revealed on stage. Or drop in throughout the day to see the creative process in action. Poplar Union, free, book ahead, noon-5pm

RAW COMEDY: Hold back on your Simon Cowell comments if you're planning on being in the audience for this night of fresh faces and experienced stand up acts. The Camden Head, Islington, pay what you want, book ahead, 8pm-10pm

*This article was amended to clarify that you must book a free nap room with Double Tree by Hilton in advance.

Last Updated 25 March 2018