Things to do
PETER GYNT: Spend a day focusing on the National Theatre's current production Peter Gynt — a radical take on Peer Gynt. Learn how the show was put together, see a rehearsal in progress and hear insights from cast members and academics. National Theatre, £55/£40, book ahead, 10.30am-4pm
LONDON IN SLOW MOTION: Join Dotmaker Tours for a slowed down look at the city. London In Slow Motion is a guided walk through some of the most hectic parts of the capital including Trafalgar Square and Covent Garden in search of pockets of calm. Learn about the area's slow history as you go, and finish up with a taste of slow food. Cleopatra's Needle (Embankment), £18/£15, book ahead, 11am-1pm
HOT PRIEST: Andrew Scott, AKA Fleabag's 'Hot Priest' is the subject of Play With Clay. Do your best to render the actor out of the squishy stuff, helped along by a drink or two. Drink, Shop & Do (King's Cross), £5 including a drink, book ahead, from 6pm
SEX BEYOND 70: Tammy WhyNot AKA performance artist Lois Weaver tackles some difficult questions in her show What Tammy Needs to Know About Getting Old And Having Sex, focusing on sex in midlife and beyond. After the performance, there's a panel discussion and Q&A session. Royal College of Nursing (Marylebone), free, book ahead, 6pm-8pm
ALL THAT SCRATCH: Enjoy an hour of promising new musical theatre performances at this scratch night. The show is recorded for the All That Scratch podcast, the performers have been chosen from open submissions, and some of the writers take part in interviews about their work too. The Other Palace (Victoria), £5, book ahead, 7pm
DNA TESTING: How did home DNA testing kits become so prevalent, and what's the effect? Genetic genealogist Debbie Kennett discusses what the DNA tests actually show, and whether it's right that companies selling diet plans can use them to offer discounts on their products. Royal Institution (Mayfair), £16/£10/£7, book ahead, 7pm-8.30pm
BANNED BOOKS: As part of Banned Books Week, playwright David Hare and poet Ben Okri take part in a discussion about walls in literature and our lives. Journalist and broadcaster Samira Ahmed chairs. British Library, £12/£8, book ahead, 7pm-8.30pm
BATMAN VILLAINS: Ahead of the release of the new Joker film, find out about the psychology of Batman villains. Forensics expert Jennifer Lees covers why The Joker is the way he is, what makes Harley Quinn tick, and several unanswered questions about The Riddler. Sway (Covent Garden), £12, book ahead, 7pm-9pm (sponsor)
SPACE JAM: We'd forgotten all about Michael Jordan's 1996 film Space Jam until we saw it on the Backyard Cinema programme. See the basketball player on screen with Bugs Bunny, and other famous players and Looney Tunes characters for a match against a group of creatures from out of space. Quite a trippy film, actually. Backyard Cinema (Wandsworth), from £18.99/£9.50, book ahead, 8.30pm
ELF LYONS: Perhaps she was inspired by Fleabag, or perhaps she just loves furry rodents. Either way, comedian Elf Lyons starts a run of her new show Love Songs To Guinea Pigs tonight. Expect an absurd narrative of heartbreak and love with live music, mime, silly characters, enthusiastic accents and entirely true stories. Soho Theatre, from £11, book ahead, 8.45pm (until 28 September)
Tube ponderings with Barry Heck
Our resident tube fancier dishes out daily thoughts on the London Underground.
Roundel of the Week time again. This week, I'm picking this striking number on the Jubilee line. The pink, lavender and blue roundel was installed in June this year as part of Pride celebrations, and follows the colours of the Bisexual Pride Flag. Follow Barry on Twitter @HeckTube.
Good cause of the day
Sign up now to take part in the Richmond Riverside, a sponsored walk along the Thames on Saturday. Choose from an eight mile or three mile walk, and gather sponsorship funds for Christian Aid. Find out more and book a place.
What we're reading
- The gangs of Camden.
- Police break up migrant camps at Marble Arch.
- Moorfields Eye Hospital looking ever-more-likely to move to King's Cross.
- London's getting an immersive prison-themed cocktail bar. Again.
