Things to do today is sponsored by Institution of Civil Engineers.
What we're reading
- London's worst borough for noise complaints.
- For masochists: London's five best bike hill-climb spots.
- The fight against Heathrow's third runway steps up.
- Black male graduates are nearly twice as likely to be unemployed than white counterparts.
- Sadiq Khan wants to save London's high streets from business rate hikes.
- A pub crawl in Tooting.
Things to do today
LUNCHTIME CONCERT: Head to LSE in your lunch break for the final lunchtime concert of the term. The Castalian String Quartet will perform works by Haydn and Beethoven. LSE, free, just turn up, 1.05pm-2pm
THAMES TOUR: Take a tour of the River Thames to hear its untold past; covering mudlarking to the impact of the whaling industry. Museum of London, £38/£28.50/£20, book ahead, 1.45pm
FREE POPCHIPS: Comedy from spoof artist Deliciously Stella, voguing classes, and makeovers from a drag expert are just some of the rooms you can visit at the pop-up Popchips store in Soho. It all sounds very high energy, but they'll be giving out free Popchips, and that's something we can get on board with. 19 Greek Street, free, just turn up, 5.30pm-8pm
THE RISE OF SOURDOUGH: If you had sourdough bread down as a new-fangled hipster snack, think again. It's been around for 6,000 years, and fed the people that built the pyramids. Find out how it became so popular — and why it was replaced with modern, yeast-based bread. Barnard's Inn Hall, free, just turn up, 6pm-7pm
FSTVL: We Are FSTVL is popping up in Shoreditch for an evening of dance music and free drinks. Boxpark Shoreditch, free, book ahead, 6pm-9pm
HOLOCAUST AWARENESS: In 1942, Polish diplomat Jan Karski attempted to raise awareness of the extermination of Jews that was taken place in Poland, but he was largely ignored. In 2009, French writer Yannick Haenel published a novel celebrating Karski, but the book was criticised for distorting history. This talk continues the debate around Karski's legend. The Wiener Library, free, book ahead, 6pm-8pm
LITTLE GERMANY: In the 18th century, in the area around Whitechapel and Aldgate, you were more likely to hear people speaking German than English. Sigrid Werner discusses the period and why it became a taboo part of history. St George's German Lutheran Church, £5, just turn up, 6.30pm
WATER OF LIFE: St Paul's Cathedral marks the UN's World Water Day with an evening of musical performances and expert speakers, including excerpts from Handel's Water Music played on the grand organ. St Paul's Cathedral, free (suggested donation £5), book ahead, 6.30pm-8pm
ART OF THE SIGN: Make a contemporary transport sign at the London Transport Museum, using calligraphy with guidance from Quill London. London Transport Museum, £65/£60, book ahead, 7pm-9pm
AGONY AUNCLES: They look like regular advice columnists, but they have a secret weapon under their sleeves: science. There is no problem to big, small or awkward for the comedic Agony Auncles. The Harrison. £5, book ahead, 7.30pm-9.30pm
VIDEO GAMES BURLESQUE: Show Me Your Moves is a video game themed burlesque night. We hear there might be a Drowzee strip-tease. For real. Secret Weapon Stratford, £10, book ahead, 8.30pm-11.30pm
Sponsor message
Vote now for your favourite London building
With the ICE London Civil Engineering Awards coming up, it's time to get thinking about which infrastructure project around the city gets your vote. The Londonist People's Choice Awards gives Londoners the opportunity to vote for their favourite of seven shortlisted projects.
Custom House Station is one of the most high-tech projects on the list. Most of it was constructed off-site and QR codes were used to track the 880 components from design to creation to installation. Nifty, eh? Cast your vote here if you think Custom House is a deserving winner.
Art review: a utopian Moscow
This exhibition is all about how Moscow was imagined in the 1920s and 1930s. We get architectural drawings, propaganda and artworks. However, with the recent Russian exhibition at Royal Academy of Arts, this just feels like a watered down version. More architectural models could have sorted that, but as it stands it's not unique enough an exhibition to keep us interested. Imagine Moscow at Design Museum, Until 4 June, £10 ★★☆☆☆ (Open every day) Tabish Khan
Theatre review: who could ask for anything more?
This is 'the one'. An American in Paris is a thing of absolute beauty, a visually breathtaking musical in which no-one sings for the first 10 minutes while the scenery, music and projection combine to set the story, which then explodes in a luxurious dance-led staging the like of which London hasn't seen in decades, iced with mellow Gershwin tunes. Leading man Robert Fairchild is movie-star handsome but his athletic grace in the ballet and command of the romance and the comedy will leave you gasping for comparisons and short of superlatives. If we could give six stars, we would. An American in Paris, Dominion Theatre, 268-9 Tottenham Court Road, W1T 7AQ, £19.50-125.00, Until 30 October, ★★★★★ [Monday-Saturday] Johnny Fox
Good cause for the day
COMEDY NIGHT: Head for a night of laughs at Ribbons and Taylor in Stoke Newington. Funny people include Danny Ward, Alasdair Beckett-King and Sunil Patel. All proceeds go to the amazing charity North London Action for the Homeless. Ribbons and Taylor, email [email protected] to reserve a place, £15, 7.30pm
