Unmissable Things To Do in London in April 2023
The clocks have leapt forward, and apparently it’s officially British Summer Time – we’re not so sure, but while we wait for things to heat up we can at least make the most of that extra hour of daylight! Here’s our list of Unmissable Things To Do in London (and beyond) this April!
Ashish: Fall in Love and Be More Tender | William Morris Gallery | Until 10 September | FREE
Fall in love with high glamour at the first major survey exhibition of suversive fashion designer Ashish Gupta in Walthamstow.
All Roads | Bernie Grant Arts Centre | Ends 1 April | From £8
A new play by national treasure Roy Williams charting the hopeful story of two Black young people, Matthew and Chantel.
An Audience with Milly-Liu | Soho Theatre | Ends 1 April | From £18
The catty content warning is enough to make this unmissable:
Close | GRIMM | Until 6 April
A group exhibition curated by Russell Tovey who says ‘this exhibition celebrates daily practices, ingrained moments, a passing of time taken for granted, routine, satisfaction, contentment’.
Young Barbican: The Takeover | Barbican | 1 April | From £5
A fabulous a festival of events in the Barbican’s Conservatory including live performances, engaging workshops and talks to yoga in our iconic conservatory, there’s something for everyone.
Jazz Lates: HipHarpCollective | Ninety One Living Room | 1 April | From £8
Head into the the living room for this intimate soirée which welcomes harpist and band leader Alina Bzhezinska with her group HipHarpCollective.
Scratch That Itch | King’s Head Theatre | 1 April | From £10
Laz Lightning lives up to his name with this fresh and sexy work-in-progress night.
Now Play This | Somerset House | 1-9 April | £9
A festival of experimental games.
Sucker Punch | Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch | Until 15 April | From £12.50
2 young men grow up in the boxing gym and discover who they really are…
Musical Theatre Rave: Olivier Awards After Party | Heaven | 2 April | From £8.68
Get your jazz hands ready for this musical theatre rave. Glee galore.
Deptford Carless Carboot | 2 April | FREE
A cavalcade of tat makes for a fantastic Sunday outing hosted by cocktail queens. Head to The Waiting Room or Isla Ray for a delicious bite while you’re there.
Hanging Around | Pleasance London | 4-8 April | £12
Hilarious horror comedy about identity, witchcraft and body swapping.
Colin Hoult: The Death of Anna Mann | Soho Theatre | 4-7 April | From £16
National grand dame of comedy Anna Mann is an actress. For an hour.
Johannes Radebe: Freedom Unleashed | Sadler’s Wells | 4-8 April | From £38
Expect joy in spades in this show from the South African Strictly star.
Live To Tell: (A Proposal For) The Madonna Jukebox Musical | Camden People’s Theatre | 4-15 April | £8 – £15
Madonna jukebox anyone? Of course you have a ticket already, hun.
Film Preview: LOLA | Genesis Cinema | 6 April | £5
A surreal premise which demands to be seen: ‘In 1941, music-loving sisters Thomasina (Emma Appleton) and Martha (Stefanie Martini) build a machine called LOLA which can intercept broadcasts from the future.’
Wonderland in Alice | Theatre Peckham | 6-22 April | From £7
Take a trip down the Rabbit hole with this zingy new production which promises a constantly evolving world of: ‘No Rules. No Time. No Binary’.
The Rossettis | Tate Britain | From 6 April | £22
The transcendental beauty of the Pre-Raphaelite hot couple is explored in this new Tate show.
Qwe’re 9 | Matchstick Piehouse | 8 April | From £10
A night of queer new work featuring the intriguing threesome of BLT.
Snowflakes | Park Theatre | From 12 April | From £12
A dark delight exploring snowflake and cancel culture in the every day tech dystopia we all live in.
Subtexts: Transfixions | The Octagon – Queen Mary University Of London | 12 April | FREE
A night of extraordinary politically charged writers performing in one of the capitals hidden venue treasures at London’s socialist heart, Queen Mary University of London.
Film Screening: Meet Me In The Bathroom | Genesis Cinema | 12 April | £5
Put your Converse on and get closer to the unsung heroes of 00s indie.
Village Idiot | Stratford East | From 13 April | From £10
An outrageous country comedy from Ramps on the Moon who are putting deaf and disabled artists and audiences at the centre of their work.
STARS: An Afrofuturist Space Odyssey | ICA | From 13 April | From £15
A DJ and one performer take you to space in search of the lead character’s orgasm. Mojisola Adebayo takes us there.
Kae Tempest telling poems | Wilton’s Music Hall | 15 April | £10
A unique chance to see Kae Tempest in the gorgeous Victorian music hall, Wilton’s.
Queer East Festival | Rich Mix | 18-30 April
Exquistite and offbeat cinema from East and Southeast Asia and its diaspora communities.
NOW 23 | The Yard | From 18 April
Push your limits with this often explosive festival of performance including highlight BULLYACHE’s TOM. Safeguarding is hopefully top of the venue’s experimental practice.
NO I.D. | Royal Court | From 18 April | £12 – £25
Black transgender immigrant Tatenda Shamiso asks tough questions about trans identity.
Spider | The Old Fire Station | 18-22 April | £14
Drama school kids end up in the woods in this exposing new play.
A Queer Interrogation | King’s Head Theatre | From 19 April
King’s Head Theatre is the LGBTQIA+ space London needs right now. Support this season of queer interrogation.
Retrograde | Kiln Theatre | From 20 April | From £15
‘The Golden Age of Hollywood. Behind closed doors, aspiring actor Sidney Poitier is offered a lucrative contract that could make him a superstar. But what is he willing to sacrifice?’
The Rotting Heart | King’s Head Theatre | 21 & 23 April | £10 – £15
Queer horror story set in 1600s Toledo.
Machine Dreams: Zubin Kanga + Zöllner-Roche Duo | Rich Mix | 21 April | £20
A night of wonky pop electronic experimentation.
New Cross & Deptford Free Film Festival | 21-30 April
London’s free film festivals movement are a triumph and this season doesn’t disappoint with a skate-a-long Xanadu 80’s roller disco and a doc about the best band you’ve never heard of Cymande.
Concrete Lates x Queer House Party | Queen Elizabeth Hall | 21 April | From £12.50
Queer House Party revolutionised accessible clubbing during the pandemic with their Zoom parties and now they’re here to show the Southbank Centre a good time as part of the 50th celebration of David Bowie’s Aladdin Sane.
How To Catch A Pig – The Death of England | Matchstick Piehouse | 22 April | £10
Outrageous punk scratch performance night in London’s most welcoming and DIY venue Matchstick Piehouse.
Unseen: Archiving the Hidden Black Disabled Experience | Wellcome Collection | 22 April | FREE
An interesting conversation around themes raised in Christopher Samuel’s artwork ‘The Archive of an Unseen’,
Indie Horror Mixer | The Black Heart | 24 April | £5.75
A chance to mingle in a friendly environment with fellow horror flicks lovers, makers and shakers.
Jeezus! Fucking Christ | Camden People’s Theatre | 25-27 April | £8 – £12
‘Description.’A latinx, catholic, fuck fest cabaret. A queer ritual to exorcise the demons religion has filled us up with.’
War & Culture | New Diorama Theatre | From 26 April | From £13
A risky presentation of Freedom of Information requests to the government. Could be dry or riveting.
Bloodied Victorians: A Museum Late | The Old Operating Theatre Museum | 27 April | £20
Descend into the depths of The Old Operating Theatre for this gory 19th century late.
Tosca | King’s Head Theatre | From 29 April | £10 – £17.50
BIG. GAY. OPERA.
Did we forget something? We almost certainly did – please let us know in the comments below!
Occasionally the To Do List team are forced to work together.
Rupert likes: free, cheap & offbeat London, especially: cabaret, art, theatre, pop-ups, eating out, quirky films, museums, day trips, social enterprise & much more.
Stuart likes: nice pubs, film marathons, not doing real marathons, bad comedy, plays/musicals with shorter second halves, and the Oxford comma.
