Things To Do Today In London: Wednesday 9 January 2019

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Take part in a tea dance at Southbank Centre

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THE SINGING MERMAID: A new theatre show for kids begins today, about a singing mermaid who's tempted away from her friends and into joining the travelling circus... but all is not as it seems. Aimed at ages 3-8. Little Angel Theatre (Islington), £13.50/£11.50, book ahead, 9-27 January

MIME FESTIVAL: Puppetry, circus, physical theatre and live art are just some of the performance mediums exhibitions at the London International Mime Festival, which starts today. Workshops run alongside the performances but several events and shows are already sold out, so book soon. See the full programme. Various locations and prices, book ahead, 9 January-3 February

GOOD GRIEF: Today, sculptor and textile artist Des Hughes is present at Somerset House's Peanuts exhibition, talking about how Charles M. Schulz's characters — specifically, a poster of them on his bedroom wall when he was a child — have influenced his work. Somerset House, included in exhibition admission, just turn up, 1pm-1.30pm

TEA DANCE: Expert DJs Diane and David Whyte play classics from salsa, swing, ballroom and jive, and guide you through the steps on the dancefloor at this monthly social tea dance. All experience levels welcome, and there's no need to bring a partner. Southbank Centre, free, just turn up, 1.30pm

The Singing Mermaid begins today

CURATOR TOUR: Join a curator for a brief tour of Jewish Museum's current exhibition, Roman Vishniac Rediscovered. Vishniac was a photographer documenting the day-to-day lives of European Jews between the two world wars. Jewish Museum (Camden), £8.50/£6.50 (includes museum entry), book ahead, 2pm-2.30pm

GOTHIC CULTURE: Catherine Spooner — Professor of Literature and Culture, Lancaster University — gives a talk about the gothic in culture, and how it influenced theatre, film and other visual arts. National Theatre, £7/£5, book ahead, 6pm

GRESHAM LECTURE: Gresham College kicks off its season of lectures marking 500 years since Thomas Gresham's birth with a talk about how London was dependent on continental Europe for its economic resilience in the 16th century, and how the Reformation changed this. Museum of London, free, just turn up, 6pm-7pm

WAR HORSE: Art historian Dr Jonathan Black and horse-racing journalist Brough Scott present an evening of discussion about the life of war artist Alfred Munnings, whose work is currently the subject of an exhibition. Find out more about his 1918 work as an official war artist working for the Canadian War Memorials Fund, and view the exhibition after hours. National Army Museum (Chelsea), £15, book ahead, 6pm-8.30pm

COMEDY: Sarah Callaghan, Jim Campbell, Joe Hobbs and Andrea Hubert are among the comedians performing at The Secret Variety Club tonight. Aces and Eights (Tufnell Park), £5, book ahead, 7.30pm

Good cause of the day

This Saturday, the New River Stadium hosts a charity football match, with Algeria taking on Yemen to raise money for the Human Relief Foundation's work to support victims of the crisis in Yemen. Find out more and book tickets.