Things To Do Today In London: Monday 18 September 2017

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Things to do today is sponsored by the Institution of Civil Engineers

Be bedazzled at the V&A Museum

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Thing to do today

SHINING BRIGHT: Part of the V&A Museum is transformed into a vivid reflective space of coloured light and textile. Woven within custom-made gloss black panels are LED profiles in bright orange and intense blue in a futuristic display as part of the London Design Festival. V&A Museum, free, just turn up, 10am-5.30pm

LGBTQ LIVES: Delve into LGBTQ history in an exhibition which examines objects from all around the world, from ancient civilisations to present day. Stories which have so often been suppressed and overlooked are brought into the spotlight, in a world where the right to love whoever you want is still being fought so hard over. The British Museum, free, just turn up, 10am-5.30pm

TURING LECTURE: Wish you knew more about what Alan Turing did for us? This talk by Lenroe and Manuel Blum explains and recognises mathematician Turing's work in the foundation of numerical computation. The British Library, free, book ahead, noon-3.30pm

URBAN LIVING: How can we create meaningful spaces for everyday living when our urban environments are growing rapidly more concentrated and crowded? Can these spaces be sustainable and affordable? SPACE10 attempts to answer these questions in a six-day pop-up. Until 23 September. 31 New Inn Yard (Shoreditch) free, just turn up, 6pm-9.30pm

CURATING NIGHT CULTURE: In this insightful talk, Dr Aleksandra Loewenau explores how the Dering Vs Uris libel trial drew the attention of the British public to wartime atrocities, by placing those proceedings within an international context of post-war court trials. Wiener Library, free, book ahead, 6.30pm-8pm

Delve into the history of LGBTQ lives, at the British Museum

LONDON AFTER HOURS: It's now easier than ever to stay out late in London with the introduction of the night tube, yet the city has lost 50% of its night clubs and music venues since 2007. The Mayor's vision for London is for a 24-hour city, but what kinds of after hours cultural, leisure and retail activities can we cultivate by learning from other cities? The Building Centre, £12, book ahead, 6.30pm-8.30pm

BOOK RELEASE: Record collector turned underground rock'n'roller Paul Major is launching his new book Feel The Music by hosting a discussion followed by a book signing, with free drinks provided by Fourpure Brewing Co. 71A (Shoreditch), free, just turn up, 6.30pm-9pm

BOOKISH: The last day of the Hampstead and Highgate Literary Festival sees an exclusive launch of the updated edition of Adam LeBor's City of Oranges, an exploration of the millennia-old port of Jaffa, and Michael Rosen speaks to Viv Groskop about his new memoir which recounts his early years in the north London suburbs. JW3 (Finchley Road), £10, book ahead, 7.30pm

HARMONISE: Gives your pipes a workout with free signing lessons across London until 21 September. The West End Music Choir will be showing you how to get the best out of your voice, plus all the tips and tricks you need to be a lyrical star. Various locations, free, book ahead, 7.30pm-9pm


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Head to EngineeringLate for a glimpse into the world of civil engineers

Civil engineers are the brains behind a huge amount of our city, from the water that comes out of our taps, to the way that London’s waste is disposed of — essentially, these guys are the cogs that make the capital work. You can find out what they actually do at the Institution of Civil Engineers’ unique late event on 22 September. The evening event will run from 6pm-9.30pm and will take place at the famous One George Street, the nucleus of civil engineering.

Explore the building to a soundtrack of live jazz, have your say in a debate on the best infrastructure project of the last 200 years, or grab a team for the engineering pub quiz. Learn how to take epic photos before hearing from the CEO of the Museum of London Archaeology about discoveries that have been made during Crossrail.

Why not ditch the pub and check out this exciting event — you may just think about London in a different way. Pre-register for your free ticket here.


Food review: where cuisines collide

Temakinho's fusion restaurant is where the worlds of Japanese and Brazilian cuisine collide... kind of. Caipirinhas, made with graviola for a sweet tropical twist, are crafted beautifully and pack a punch, as any good caipirinha should. (You can also choose a sake based caipirinha.) If you're not a seafood fan, menu choices are limited. Otherwise, choosing your dishes is plain sailing. A mixture of poke, tartare, ceviche and temakis makes for some delicious feasting — although we aren't sure which ones tick the Brazilian box; poke has Hawaiian roots and ceviche is a popular Peruvian speciality. Categorising aside, all the food is really flavoursome — the sushi rolls are beautifully created, and look almost too good to eat. The cod croquettes are melt in the mouth and an Inca Sour washes it down nicely.  It's worth mentioning that there are gadget charging facilities near every table — perfect for when all those sushi snapchats drain your battery. Temakinho, 10 Old Compton Street, W1D 4TF ★★★★☆ Harriet Davis

Theatre review: warrior queen Boudica ignites the Globe

Image courtesy Steve Tanner

Shakespeare's Globe is not just about the Bard's masterpieces, although new play Boudica, based on the woman who raised an army to fight the Romans, has notable Shakey traits in the script. Written by Tristan Bernays and starring Gina McKee as the stunning title character, the production has a tribal feel, aided by a set of timber planks and a soundtrack of highly effective woman-led drumming. The prominence of females on the stage echoes Boudica's feminist agenda, who, in 61 AD, is setting out to claim what rightly belongs to her and her two daughters. This may just be the only Globe performance that weaves in ancient history, abseiling, The Clash and a **** load of swearing — some slightly lengthy monologues which spell out self-explanatory onstage aBoudicaction are unnecessary. But overall Boudica is well-worth invading the South Bank for. Boudica, Shakespeare's Globe, 21 New Globe Walk, SE1 9DT. Tickets from £5. Until 1 October. ★★★★☆ Hari Mountford

Art review: virtual worlds

Image courtesy Rebecca Allen

Drop into the darkness of a mine shaft, be surrounded by black and white striped dancers, assemble a brain, sit on a toilet and be transported into other worlds. All of these are done through virtual reality in this interactive exhibition where artist’s imaginations are let loose. We need more art-utilising virtual reality, and allowing users to get hands using controllers only makes it more fun. An exciting and innovative show. Enter through the headset 2: A virtual reality exhibition at Gazelli Art House, 39 Dover Street, W1S 4NN, free. Until 30 September ★★★★☆ (Monday-Saturday) Tabish Khan

Good cause for the day: fundraising for Hurricane Irma victims

You can't escape the news of the devastation that Hurricane Irma has caused. Thousands of people have had their belongings destroyed; some items replaceable, many not. So Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen is putting on a charity fundraiser to raise money for victims of the hurricane in an evening of live music to show that #LoveSpeaksLouder. Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen, £8, book ahead, 19 September, 7.30pm-9.30pm