Things to do today is sponsored by Match.com.
What we're reading
- Spotted: a cafe called Dalston Coffee... in Barcelona.
- Police make 26 arrests ahead of Notting Hill Carnival.
- 'Commuter' sheep grazing in Green Park.
- Man suffers serious injuries in east London acid attack.
- An architect student draws up alluring plans for building on Thamesmead's brownfield.
- Tracking down the originator of the 'Nat Has Herpes' phenomenon.
Things to do
MAKING FACES: Last chance to catch this exhibition, which features a series of works and installations by artist who have survived brain injuries. The tower-block installations that form the centrepiece of Making Faces confront viewers with playful questions about the nature of the body, and about the disjuncture between what it feels like to be a person. Royal Festival Hall, free, just turn up, 10am-11pm
HISTORY WALK: Discover Greenwich and its naval and Tudor history with a lecture about the district including the Prime Meridian and the Royal Observatory. Society of Genealogists, Islington, £8, book ahead, 2pm-3pm
INTO THE WOODS: The Sondheim classic that takes your favourite fairy tale characters and sends them on a dark and twisted adventure — it makes people question the very nature of fairy tales. Stockwell Playhouse, £14, book ahead, 7.30pm Wednesday-Saturday, until 26 August
SECRETS OF SOUTHWARK: Southwark Cathedral's long and distinguished 1400 year history comes to light in this guided tour. Discover why Southwark Cathedral is strongly associated with Winchester, why a former Bishop is buried there, and the name of the famous London hospital that was founded by the church. Southwark Cathedral, £8, book ahead, 6.30pm-7.30pm
HIDDEN RIVERS: Londonist contributor Tom Bolton — also author of London’s Lost Rivers — reveals the route of the River Westbourne buried under the streets of Knightsbridge and Chelsea. Start at Knightsbridge tube (Exit 2 Harvey Nichols), £15, book ahead, 6.15pm-8.15pm
FRINGE COMEDY: Were you wondering where Paul F Taylor had gone? No us neither... Anyway, he's back with another hour of stand up material which was recently nominated for best who at the Leicester Comedy Festival. The Bill Murray, £5, book ahead, 8pm
CHICKEN SOUP CRUSADER: Comedian Daphna Baram dubs herself the Middle Eastern Mary Poppins. Find out if she can live up to that brazen title in her stand-up set tackling the issues of today. If the jokes suck, at least it's BYOB. The CentrE17 (Walthamstow), £10, book ahead, 8pm-9pm
SOHO SOUL: Enjoy some classic Motown and soul with vocals from Alex Charles, Matthew Allen, Mark Asare and more. The singers cover classics like Reach Out I'll Be There, Papa Was A Rolling Stone and so many more. 100 Wardour Street, free, 9pm-11.30pm
FILM PREMIERE: It's closing night of Film4 Summer Screen at Somerset House, and they're going out with a bang with the UK Premiere of Patti Cake$. Follow aspiring rapper Patricia Dombrowski's journey to find glory in her downtrodden hometown in New Jersey. Somerset House, £17, book ahead, DJs from 6.30pm, film starts 9pm
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Art review: 31 degrees of art
31 emerging artists are showing one work each in this eclectic group show. There’s a bright and mesmerising lightbox, a house on fire and punch card-esque patterns etched on to copper. Whether you like your art realistic, conceptual or abstract there is something for everyone in this exhibition. 31 Celsius at ASC gallery, The Chaplin Centre, Taplow House, Thurlow Street, SE17 2DG, until 23 August, free ★★★☆☆ (Monday-Friday) Tabish Khan
Food review: Indian tapas in winter
We enter into a cosy restaurant with fine finishes, and a bar that made us feel like we’ve slipped into Alice’s Wonderland. The fantasy continues when the recommended Like A Bird cocktail arrives: a bird shaped glass swinging prettily in its cage containing a sweet, slow burning Bombay sapphire and fruity drink. The Indian tapas are little plates of bliss, with standout favourites including the spicy and rich lamb chops, and the stunning Yorkshire pudding lamb keema with mash and gravy. The latter is a seriously mouth-watering and flavoursome twist on a British classic. Other dishes such as the biriyani and coconut curry fall a little flatter following such wonder, but are great alternatives for those who’d like to steer clear of the heat. Lokhandwala, 93 Charlotte Street, W1T 4PY ★★★★☆ Eleana Overett
Theatre review: dark humour at its finest
Probably the best band most people have never heard of, quite why Bourgeois & Maurice aren’t widely recognised as national treasures is something of a mystery. As this retrospective show proves, these arch-satirists’ have consistently been pushing the boundaries of comedy and cabaret every which way with songs as sparky and bizarre as their designer outfits; how many other bands darkly opine about taxation, chemsex parties, the EU and ADHD to equally hilarious effect? Beneath the pop melodies and glittery garbs lies a sophisticated intelligence at work, which borders on genius and puts this pair on a pedestal with Fascinating Aida and Tom Lehrer. Bourgeouis & Maurice: Style Over Substance - A Ten Year Retro-Speculative, Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, W1D 3NE. £12-£14, until Saturday 26 August ★★★★★ Franco Milazzo
Good cause for the day
On Thursday 12th October, Coreco will be holding a charity gig in aid of Shelter at the famous Borderline venue in Soho. The dress code is either grunge or outrageous, so take that as you will and have an amazing night for a great cause. Register for tickets here. The Borderline, free, book ahead, 7pm-10pm, 12 October
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