Interesting and unusual things to do for a fiver or less this week.
Monday 20 January
FILM: West End Film Club turns Century club into a cinema for one night only, screening the 2013 film About Time, starring Rachel McAdams and Domhnall Gleeson. £5, prebook, 8pm and 10.45pm (at time of writing the later screening has much better availability)
Tuesday 21 January
GEEKY FILM: Historian of Biology and film-buff Professor Joe Cain introduces the 1951 film When Worlds Collide - a film about a group of people who travel to a newly-discovered planet to avoid the human species being wiped out by a giant star - at the Grant Museum. Free, just turn up, 6.30-9pm
COMEDY: Three stand up comedians preview their work in progress shows for free at the Round Table Pub in Leicester Square: Ria Lina, Jason Patterson and Inder Manocha. Free, just turn up, 8.30-10.40pm
Wednesday 22 January
MP: A Parliamentary Open Lecture at the Houses of Parliament, led by Natascha Engel MP, looks at how the public are viewed from from an MP's perspective, as well as the general perception of politicians today. Free, prebook, 2.30-4pm
LONDON'S STREETS: Join a panel discussion focusing on the potential for quick, cheap and temporary projects to speed up the transformation of London’s streets and public spaces, hosted by Movement for Liveable London at The Gallery, 70 Cowcross Street. Free, just turn up, 6.30pm
Thursday 23 January
DIABETES: Centre of the Cell’s Big Question lecture series gives you a chance to hear cell biology experts discuss their work and question them about it. Today's lecture is all about whether Type 2 diabetes can be prevented. Free, prebook, 6-7pm
VINYL: Darrel Sheinman, creator of Geabox Records, speaks about the art of vinyl mastering in the first in a series of talks for 2014, hosted by Audio Lounge. £5 (proceeds go to Dance Art Foundation), prebook, 6.30-7.30pm
LEXICOGRAPHY: Dr Johnson's House, just off Fleet Street, is the atmospheric setting for an evening of poetry inspired by lexicography (the art of writing or editing dictionaries). £5 (includes a glass of wine), prebook, 7pm
HUMAN FORM: How do we recognise human movement from the smallest signs? Join artist Matt Pyke, founder of Universal Everything, along with scientists and animators at The Science Museum's Dana Centre, as they explore the perception of human form and movement. Free, prebook, 7-9pm
Friday 24 January
PLAY DISCUSSION: Playwright Dennis Kelly and director Melly Still discuss their new version of Georg Kaiser’s play, From Morning to Midnight, which is at the National Theatre until 26 Jan. £4/£3, prebook, 6pm
DOCTOR WHO: Learn about the history and development of this much-loved programme that has spent more than 50 years on our screens, courtesy of Andrew Cartmel - script editor of the show during Sylvester McCoy's tenure as the Doctor in the 80s. At St Mary's Community Centre in Islington. Free, just turn up, 6.30-9pm
STORYTELLING: Join London Dreamtime's storyteller Vanessa Woolf and musician Nigel of Bermondsey in a secret and slightly muddy location near Deptford Bridge (revealed upon booking) for a nighttime storytelling expedition. Dress warmly. £3, prebook, 6.30pm
Saturday 25 January
UNLONDON: It's not often we promote anything that's "un-London" but for this we can certainly make an exception. UnLondon at St Mary's Old Church in Stoke Newington is a one-day festival of literature, art and music inspired by the less celebrated sides of our city, such as the local launderettes, back streets and betting shops. Free, prebook, 2-10.30pm
Sunday 26 January
DANCE: Danceworks, a fitness studio just off Oxford Street that offers a variety of dance, fitness, martial arts and singing classes, opens its doors to non-members today with over 20 free taster sessions, from kickboxing to ballet. Free, just turn up (first come first served), 11am-6pm
Check out our map of free things to do in London for more frugal fun.
