Things To Do Today In London: Thursday 17 May 2018

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A great comedic opera returns to the capital after nearly 100 years.

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NORWAY DAY: Be transported to the Land of the Midnight Sun without leaving Southwark at a Scandi-lous celebration to mark Norway's national day. Expect delicious Norwegian cheeses, a parade in tradition dress, and a rendition or two of Ja Vi Elsker. If that's not enough for you, there's also a very tempting all day bouncy castle pass for just £8. Southwark Park, from £2, book ahead, 11am-4.30pm

SAMPLE SALE: Give your wardrobe an injection of Parisian chic. From today until Sunday, multi-brand French boutique Aimé is setting up shop, with designer goodies from the likes of Isabel Marant and A.P.C at up to 80% off. The BOX (Hackney), free entry, just turn up, 11am-8pm

LABORATORY OPEN DAY: The National Physical Laboratory invites you for a behind-the-scenes look at its pioneering research — from new resistance-tackling antibiotics, to superfast 5G. National Physical Laboratory (Teddington), £3/free for under 16s, book ahead, 2pm-8pm

SUNSET FOODIE MARKET: The team behind Copeland Park and Bussey Building has joined forces with Beckenham Market to curate a new weekly night market in the grounds of the gorgeous Georgian Beckenham Place Mansion. Check out its launch tonight. Beckenham Place Mansion, free entry, just turn up, 5pm-10.30pm

NICK HORNBY: Author Nick Hornby is popping into Genesis Cinema for a Q&A session, following a special 35mm presentation of the film adaptation of his novel, High Fidelity, starring John Cusack. It's all in aid of his own local children's charity, The Ministry of Stories, so be sure to make a donation while you're there. Genesis Cinema (Stepney Green), £10, book ahead, 6pm-10pm

Chortle with Twix at this north London comedy showcase.

TWITTER CULTURE: From lightning fast news alerts, to shady subtweets and celebrity feuds, Twitter has been shaping the way we communicate for over a decade now, all within a character limit. Head to the Museum of Brands for an after-hours event exploring the relationship between Twitter and contemporary culture. Museum of Brands (Ladbroke Grove), £21.08, book ahead, 6.30pm-9pm

YE OLDE TAVERN QUIZ: Gather your most trivia-tastic pals, grab a drink at the historic Jerusalem Tavern and settling down for an evening of good old fashioned pub quizzing with a Maltese twist (don't worry, they promise you'll know more than you think). You can even bring your own sandwiches. Museum of the Order of St John (Clerkenwell), £30 per team (max 6 people), book ahead, 6.30pm-9.30pm

ADVENTURE FILMS UNDERGROUND: Catch a screening of three of the world's best adventure films while on a mini adventure of your own, 50ft deep in a Grade II* listed railway tunnel shaft. We bet you've never done cinema like this before... Brunel Museum (Rotherhithe), £25, book ahead, 6.30pm-10pm (partner)

DER ROSENKAVALIER: See a film that hasn't been screened in London since its UK premiere nearly a century ago. Der Rosenkavalier, one of the comedy opera greats, will be accompanied by a live orchestra, playing composer Richard Strauss' original score. Southbank Centre, £25, book ahead, 7pm-10pm

SEVEN SISTERS OF COMEDY: Discover a diverse medley of the best new comedy talent at Bernie Grants Arts Centre, where Michael Odewale, Evelyn Mok, Twix and Twayna Mayne have rocked up to deliver belly laughs galore. Bernie Grants Art Centre (Tottenham Green), £10/£!2, book ahead, 7.30pm

BAT WALK: At dusk, London's bats come out to play — see which species you can spot and hear their echo-location calls using special bat detectors on this after dark tour. You might even spot an owl or a fox going about their nightly business. Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, £10, book ahead, 8.45pm-10.15pm

Good cause of the day

The best bakers in London have conjured up delicious Syrian-inspired culinary creations for you to scoff in aid of Unicef UK’s Children of Syria appeal. Sample sweet and savoury treats from the likes of Lily Vanilli, Dear Safia, and The Good Egg.