Things To Do Today In London: Monday 18 March 2019

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Things to do

Find out what makes people evil at Conway Hall.

LAST CHANCE: It’s the final week of The Last Tsar: Blood and Revolution. The exhibition looks at the lives and deaths of Tsar Nicholas II — the last emperor of Russia — and his family. They were brutally and mysteriously murdered in 1918. Science Museum (South Kensington), free, book ahead, until 24 March

HIP FLASK: Put the hip into your hip flask at this workshop. All decorative materials including gems, sequins and sharpies are provided for you to pimp your hip flask. Drink, Shop & Do (King’s Cross), £5, book ahead, from 6pm

YOUNG PEOPLE AND BREXIT: A panel of experts including Sarah Staples, Trustee of British Youth Council and Shakira Martin, President of National Union of Students, discuss what kind of country will be inherited by the younger generation, ahead of Brexit Day on 29 March. British Library, £10/£7, book ahead, 7pm-8.30pm

LONELINESS: With 9 million Brits apparently suffering from loneliness, and the government launching a ‘loneliness strategy’ to tackle it, find out what more can be done to stop this silent epidemic. The British Academy, £5/£3, book ahead, 7pm-9pm

See the original Phantom of the Opera.

PHANTOM OF THE OPERA: Before Andrew Lloyd Webber there was Roy Budd. The original Phantom of the Opera composer never saw his 1993 work — which he wrote to accompany the 1925 silent film — performed before his death. Tonight, it’s played alongside the film by the 72-piece Docklands Sinfonia. Barbican, £29-£39, book ahead, 7.30pm

MAKING EVIL: Would you kill baby Hitler? That’s one of the questions that comes up in Dr Julia Shaw’s talk about what makes some people do evil things. Topics such as cute aggression, serial murderers, terrorism, sexual assault and technology all come up in relation to our day-to-day morals. Conway Hall (Holborn), £8/£4, book ahead, 7.30pm-9pm

COMEDY RESERVE: Hundreds of comedians battle it out to be one of the four chosen to be taken to Edinburgh Fringe with Pleasance Theatre each year. Several of them try to impress tonight, with a seven-minute slot to perform their material, and the competition continues tomorrow night. Pleasance Theatre (Islington), £5, book ahead, 7.45pm

SPARK STORYTELLING: Authority is the theme of tonight’s Spark London storytelling open mic night. All stories have to be true, five minutes long, and about the person telling them. If you’ve got one to share, sign up — otherwise, sit back and enjoy other people’s tales. Ritzy (Brixton), £5, book ahead, 8pm

LIVE MUSIC: Fiddle player and songwriter Hannah Read performs tracks from her new album, Way Out I’ll Wander, showing off her vocal skills and guitar and fiddle playing. The Green Note (Camden), £10, book ahead, 8.30pm

Tube ponderings with Barry Heck

Our resident tube fancier dishes out daily thoughts on the London Underground.

Paul Day’s giant statue of two lovers at St Pancras is often lampooned as overbearing and simplistic, but look at its base for a real treat. A series of panels depict railway scenes, including this arresting image of a crowded tube platform reflected in some sunglasses. Follow Barry Heck on Twitter @HeckTube.

Good cause of the day

Spend a night sleeping outside at BoxPark Croydon to raise money for homelessness charity Evolve. Hear from representatives from the charity before settling down for the night. There's a sponsorship target of £500 per person. Find out more and sign up.

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