Things to do in London this weekend

Clive Rowe is the best panto dame in London, probably the world, and this year he’s somehow gotten better. In this production of the classic Dick Whittington story – written by Will Brenton and based on ideas by him and Rowe – his daming persona, a lusty maneater with a voice to die for and a black belt in audience interaction, remains peerless. And costume designer Cleo Pettitt has gone absolutely nuts with a remarkable, absurd and, above all, extremely funny series of outfits for Rowe’s Sarah the Cook. 

Standing in front of ‘The Vision of Saint Jerome’ is like slipping down a water slide. The most important painting by sixteenth century Italian maestro Girolamo Francesco Maria Mazzola, aka Parmigianino, is an exercise in sinuous, surreal psychedelia, and it’s stunning. He painted it at just 23, a commission for a nobleman’s burial chapel. You are dwarfed by the painting, the colossal figures; the looming, circuitous composition not only dominates you, but forces you to follow its curving course. It forces your line of sight to spiral upwards, towards the heavens. Incredible.

Five years after opening in Soho, modern Sri Lankan restaurant Kolamba now has a second London venue on a quiet Shoreditch backstreet. Where the decor has understated nods to Sri Lanka, like palm tree print wallpaper in the loo, the menu is a dizzying showcase of the island nation’s brightest, boldest flavours. Most dishes we try are seriously punchy. Take the mango achchuri: cold slithers of mango soaked in a fiery chilli dressing. Sri Lankan cooking uses a lot of dry spice, so you can expect a level of heat that chars the back of your throat, like the lamb shank, a buttery-tender hunk of meat that manages to be spicy, nutty and slightly minty at the same time. Finish with the coconut sorbet, which is soothingly creamy after all that spice. 

The National Theatre’s big family Christmas show is a sumptuous adaptation of Noel Streatfeild’s classic 1936 children’s novel Ballet Shoes. It’s slick, classy and meticulously directed by Katy Rudd. The story follows the eccentric household initially headed by Justin Salinger’s Great Uncle Matthew, a palaeontologist in the old-school explorer vein who abruptly adopts three baby girls: Petrova (Yanexi Enriquez), Pauline (Grace Self) and Posy (Daisy Sequerra), each of whom he found orphaned while out on an expedition. The meat of the story is about them growing up in an unconventional, almost entirely female household. It’s a classy night at the theatre. 

Describing Oscar Wilde’s most famous play as ‘camp’ is a bit like describing water as ‘a liquid’. And yet Max Webster’s production of Wilde’s story of two wisecracking bachelors getting into insanely complicated hijinks in the nominal name of the pursuit of women is unusually, prodigiously, extremely gay. Current Doctor Who leading man Ncuti Gatwa plays Algernon – one of said bachelors – and begins the show in a pink ballgown, miming playing piano. And things do not get noticeably straighter. This acid-bright is a pure blast. Gatwa is supremely enjoyable as agent of chaos Algy, but it’s full of standout turns: Sharon D Clarke as a twinkly, pragmatic Caribbean-accented Lady Bracknell and Eliza Scanlen as a feral Cecily. This is a fantasy world as dazzlingly Technicolor as Judy Garland’s Oz. 

There are few venues as Christmassy as Royal Albert Hall – its iconic music hall evokes memories of Decembers past in chilly church halls, listening to organs play and choirs sing, no matter what time of year you visit. Stopping by ahead of Christmas, then, is a guaranteed way to get yourself in a festive mood and what better event to attend than one of its sing-along carol services. Warm up your pipes and practice your keys, even the most tone-deaf among us won’t be able to help joining in.

You’ve probably heard all about Versailles’ dazzling Hall of Mirrors and its gorgeous, well-manicured gardens – maybe you’ve even seen them IRL. But do you know about the role the French royal court played in not just spreading scientific knowledge, but making it fashionable, too? The Science Museum’s latest exhibition, ‘Versailles: Science And Splendour’, will uncover that lesser-talked-about side of the palace’s history, diving into the royal family’s relationship with science, women’s impact on medicine, philosophy and botany at the royal court, and showcasing more than 100 items that reinforce those stories – many of which have never been displayed in the UK before. 

Going to a Jeff Wall exhibition is like watching 100 films at once. The pioneering Canadian photographer has spent decades creating highly stylised, minutely posed, ultra composed, totally fictional photographic scenes, all filled with enough details to send you spiralling down countless narrative rabbit holes. A toddler flails on the ground in front of her frustrated father, a woman in a lab receives a call from a man in uniform, a couple sit lovelessly on a sofa. Every image contains the symbols you need to untangle the story it’s telling; they’re entire movies told in one photo. The work makes you realise that not only is nothing really real, but nothing is actually fake either. 

There's arguably nowhere in London more Christmassy than Covent Garden's Piazza in December. Every year, the shopping district seems to outdo its previous efforts, and this year’s display features almost double the number of individual lights as last year. There are 260,000 of them bathing the square in a warm glow, including 30,000 LEDs festooning an 18-metre tall Christmas tree on the West Piazza, where you’ll also find a Santa’s sleigh created from a reconditioned 1884 carriage hand painted by British artist James Gemmill. Meanwhile, the roof of the Market Building is adorned with 40 gigantic bells, 12 giant baubles and 8 spinning mirror balls as part of an installation first introduced last year. 

Wildflowers feels Grand Designs barn; all flagstone floors, exposed brick and a warmly-lit open kitchen led by chef Aaron Potter, who is heading up his first solo project following stints at Maria G’s and Michelin-starred Elystan Street. Despite the country cottage-core look of the place, the food is decidedly European, with snacks of ‘Romeo & Juliets’ – a kind of deluxe take on the pineapple-and-cheese toothpick, hot moules farcies, gnocco fritto, grilled mackerel and sardine bruschetta, red prawn carpaccio, cuttlefish and octopus fideua and grilled sugar pit Iberico pork. There’s a serious, studied intent coming from the kitchen.

This tough-but-touching Mumbai drama – somehow, the first Indian film to compete for a Palme d'Or since 1994 – paints an empathetic portrait of three women of different generations tiptoeing through a minefield of poverty, gossip and social pressure, each trying to grasp whatever happiness is available to them. It sets out with a Dardennes-y focus on the gritty realities of life in India’s most crowded city, before finding a hopeful romanticism in a lingering and optimistic final act.

Sink your teeth into the world-renowned flavours of Salt, now open in Leicester Square, where premium ingredients meet unmatched passion. For just £5.99, you can enjoy a slider – choose between the juicy original Wagyu beef burger or the irresistible crispy chicken burger, accompanied by a generous portion of fries. Whether you’re a burger enthusiast or simply seeking a satisfying meal, Salt Leicester Square is a must-visit.

Was £10.48, now just £5.99: Treat yourself to Salt’s iconic flavours, only through Time Out Offers.

This year’s Lyric Hammersmith panto reintroduces light subversion, enjoyably ludicrous characters and a banging song list into the story of Aladdin. Emmanuel Akwafo is hitting peak form as dame in his third year on the job and has kamikaze abandon in spades as he manifests the booming-voiced, lusty laundrette owner Widow Twerkey, while Andrew Pepper is an absolute hoot as the tall, camp, weird villain. It’s high energy, goofy fun, that zooms by in a brisk two hours, with an exceptionally well chosen set of songs that speak of creatives who pay attention to the dizzying eclecticism of the TikTok era, like in the truly hallucinatory blend of Charli XCX’s ‘Von Dutch’ and Twain’s ‘Man, I Feel Like a Woman’. 

While the imposing men of mid-century American abstraction were trying to reshape the course of art, Joan Snyder was doing something quieter, but no less important. Now 84, Snyder has spent her life using abstraction not for grand gestures, but for smaller, personal ones. Written across the walls of this career-spanning show is a lifetime of emotions and feelings, of memories and experiences, in big bursts of shape and colour. Thick strokes of paint coalesce into pink and blue landscapes, an almost-portrait of her grandma’s lifeless body and collisions of viscous, fleshy pink and slabs of wool painted into the canvases look like two bodies coalescing, growing mouldy, becoming one. This is very beautiful, very sensual art. 

Step into Penny Squares, East London’s Italian haven, where authentic flavours and a warm atmosphere meet. Treat yourself to a delectable three-course meal, featuring beloved Italian dishes made with fresh, organic ingredients. Complement your meal with a glass of house wine, and let the vibrant flavours transport you straight to Italy. Conveniently located near Aldgate Station and open Tuesday to Saturday, 5 pm - 10 pm, Penny Squares is the perfect spot for an evening escape – whether for a romantic date or a casual catch-up with friends. Buon Appetito!

Get £15 off three courses and a glass of wine at Penny Squares, only through Time Out Offers.

Cult cabaret artist Dan Wye – aka Séayoncé – is on Christmas duties for London’s hippest theatre The Yard with a show in which their alter ego vows to stage history’s most outrageous festive TV special. They’ll be joined by Robyn Herfellow as Leslie-Ann, Séayoncé’s murderous, man-hating pianist.

The annual Gingerbread City exhibition has become one of London’s best Christmas attractions. It tasks leading architects and designers to use their building know-house and ditch their conventional building materials for dough bricks and sugar paste mortar. Expect over 70 gingerbread buildings, everything from doughy houses, train stations, markets, museums, schools and parks – making up impressive, tiny biscuit cities.

One of Christmas’ great perks is all the food you’re allowed to stuff your face with. You don’t have to wait til December 25 to get started. At Maltby Street Market every Friday from the end of November, the food market’s finest traders will be cooking up some scrumptious snacks for you to fill your boots (or, well, stomach) with, all beneath Victorian railway arches lined with twinkling lights. Usually, the Christmas market offers entertainment like carolling and wreath-making so keep your eye out for word on activities.

Kick off your weekend plans with a Frameless Lates sessions. Get your after-dark culture fix every Friday and Saturday night in Marble Arch. With over-18s-only sessions, you’ll be able to enjoy four galleries to a specially curated soundtrack from Soho Radio. Whether you want to impress a date or simply enjoy a fun night out with friends, you will be able to take your time exploring the galleries with a drink in hand from the Café Bar.

Exclusive: enjoy £5 off tickets to Frameless Lates, only through Time Out Offers.

If you’re one of those people who adamantly argues that Die Hard is absolutely a ‘Christmas movie’, or simply someone who relishes the opportunity to revisit some classics over the festive period, then you’ll love this festive film season at the BFI Southbank. It features an eclectic programme of movies few would seriously argue are Christmas films, but which all feature at least one scene set during the December holiday period. There’s all sorts on here, from cult queer films like John Waters’ Female Trouble and Sean Baker’s 2015 trans comedy-drama Tangerine to classic gangster hit Goodfellas, the Ryuichi Sakamoto-soundtracked war film Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence. It kicks off with Greta Gerwig’s Little Women on Sunday. 

Dennis Severs’ House – aka the ornate Huguenot house that sits on a Spitalfields backstreet – is a real-life time capsule. Part museum and part art piece, its rooms are still decorated in the manner of a family home between 1724 and 1914. Each Christmas, it becomes a seasonal hotspot and visitors are greeted with gingerbread figures and figgy pudding mix laid out in the 18th-century kitchen, Christmas trees wrapped up in decorations and a lavish holiday feast set out on the dining room table. Book an after-dark ‘Silent Night’ tour to see it glowing with candlelight. 

Dreaming of a kitsch Christmas? New York’s famous Miracle on Ninth Street bar is popping up in London for its seventh year, ‘50s Christmas decorations, nostalgic accessories and creative new spins on beloved cocktail favourites in tow. This year’s menu is still a work in progress, but past years have seen the bar slinging the likes of a Snowball Old Fashioned or a Christmapoliton, which includes cranberry sauce and absinthe mist – a take on Christmas trimmings that’s not for the faint-hearted. If you’re failing to find the Christmas spirit, this is one great place to come find it.

Is it, is it wicked? Well, yes. The award-winning Garage Brunch is taking over top-secret locations across London to bring you UKG daytime raves that come with a side of brunch. Expect nothing but old-school anthems while you knock back an hour's worth of bottomless cocktails followed by a delicious two-course feast to keep you feeling party-ready. That’s not all though, as you’ll get to put your knowledge of Artful Dodger and DJ Luck & MC Neat to the test with rounds of Garage Bingo and Garage Mastermind. And you can show off your very best moves to So Solid's DJ Swiss by taking on the Garage Skank Off on stage. It’s every garage fan’s dream day out.

Get entry only tickets for just £10, or upgrade to brunch & bottomless drinks for £30, down from £49.99, only through Time Out Offers.

Available at several London locations – Brixton, Peckham, South Norwood, Ladywell, and Sydenham – this menu features the best of chef Antonio’s handcrafted Neapolitan-style sourdough pizzas. Made with organic flour from Shipton Mill and local produce from Borough Market, each pizza has a unique, fresh flavour. Start your meal by sharing a delicious “Bambinos” appetiser, choose two of their popular pizzas like the Margherita, Hot Honey Dog, or Dirty Boy, and end with a sweet treat: a tiramisu sharer or scoops of artisan ice cream. A must-try experience for pizza lovers!

Enjoy a three course Italian dining experience, at Mamma Dough, only through Time Out Offers.