Unmissable Things To Do in London this November 2023
We told you this would happen! It’s dark, wet and windy – winter has arrived! Be brave, resist the lure of the box sets (save them for January) and head out to make the most of our bumper list of Unmissable Things To Do in London (and beyond) this November!
A Season of Bangla Drama | Multiple Venues | 1-26 November
The annual Season of Bangla Drama returns, showcasing incredible British-Bengali theatre.
The PappyShow 10th Birthday Pit Party | Barbican | 1-4 November | £18
Check out our interview with The PappyShow Founder & Director Kane Husbands for a preview of this birthday celebration extravaganza!
The Coven Burlesque Presents: Danse Macabre | Two Brewers | 1 November | From £11
Bewitching Halloween performances from The Coven Burlesque at Clapham’s famous LGBTQIA+ venue.
A Spectacle of Herself | Jacksons Lane | 1 November | From £14
Genre-defying queer performance artist Laura Murphy navigates the personal and political to seek out new worlds and ways to be seen.
Wasted By Kae Tempest | Broadway Theatre | 1-11 November | From £14
A revival of poet and playwright Kae Tempest’s 2011 play, about three friends still dealing with the death of their best friend 10 years previously.
French Film Festival | Ciné Lumière | 1-12 November
A celebration of the latest in French cinema, alongside some all-time classics. Includes a screening of this years Palme d’Or winner, Anatomy of a Fall.
Croydonites | Multiple Venues | 2-18 November
Head south from the city for this annual festival of theatre in (and for) Croydon.
52 Monologues For Young Transsexuals | Pleasance London | 3 November | From £14
We loved it in Edinburgh – don’t miss this chance to catch Laurie Ward and Charli Cowgill delivering an unpacking of 21st century transfeminine life that is both searingly honest and exhilaratingly entertaining.
Black to the Future | Multiple Venues | Multiple Dates
An Afro-Futurist celebration of outstanding Black artists, which runs through until the start of US Black History Month in February 2024.
Rebellious Bodies International Butoh Dance Festival | Rich Mix | 3-5 November
A festival of dace which aims to (re-)introduce UK audiences to the Japanese discipline of butoh.
London Radical Bookfair | Goldsmiths, University of London | 4 November
A unique gathering of progressive readers, thinkers and doers, in a celebration of radical publishing and politics.
FLIP! | Soho Theatre | 7-25 November | From £13
A satirical play from writer Racheal Ofori, asking how we can live our best authentic lives in a world of algorithms.
Pitchfork Music Festival London | Multiple Venues | 7-13 November
We chatted with Festival Director Dan Monsell about this incredible, eclectic festival taking place across London.
BalletBoyz: England on Fire | Sadler’s Wells | 8-11 November | From £15
A BalletBoyz collaboration with over forty artists, England on Fire is a search for meaning amid the challenges of life in the modern and ancient worlds.
Frutas Maduras: Rocío Boliver | VSSL Studio | 9-26 November
“Boliver confronts the absurdity of society’s narrow beauty standards and the consequent marginalization of aging women. The works offer an empowering message to women, urging them to embrace their sexuality and bodies unapologetically.”
Black Sheep | The Albany | 10 November | £12
Our local venue hosts this fusion of physical theatre, spoken word and song, telling the story of a queer Black woman finding love.
ZU-UK LONDON SEASON | Multiple Venues | From 11 November
A six-week season of ZU-UK works, featuring the London premiere of Within Touching Distance, as well as Binaural Dinner Date and the 2022 Lumen Prize Winner Radio Ghost
Elvis Died of Burgers | The Workshop Theatre | 13 November | £15
A recipient of five To Do List stars in Edinburgh, this is a beautiful, life-affirming show from BLINK Dance Theatre.
The Words Are There | The Hope Theatre | 14-25 November | From £10
A funny, powerful and beautiful play from Ronan Dempsey, delving into the silence and solitude of male victims of domestic abuse.
The Poetry Showcase: Queer Poets | Online | 15 November | FREE
Snuggle under the duvet and Zoom in for this online showcase of queer poets.
Skate Lates: Pxssy Palace | Somerset House | 16 November | From £15
Get your skates on at Somerset House, and join the DJs of Pxssy Palace for a night of high femme anthems and genre bending club bangers.
Night Shift | Stanley Hall | 16 November | From £9
Playwright Paula B. Stanic’s new play focuses on an unlikely group of night workers who become embroiled in a life-changing series of events – performed using an innovative combination of spoken English, BSL, visual vernacular and creative captioning.
RUNT November: Transgender Awareness Week | Unit 3K, West Wing Oslo House | 16 November | Pay What You Can
A special edition of RUNT celebrating Transgender Awareness Week, guest curated and hosted by transfemme artist and friend of To Do List, Abigail Jacqueline Jones. Featuring performances from Ian Whitford, Merlin the Grey, Jordana Belaiche, Karma Obskura, Sidney Packard, Miz Indulgence & Rotten Peach.
HOT QUEER MAGIC #3 | Matchstick Piehouse | 17 November | From £10
The unequaled Matchstick Piehouse hosts another night of raucous, seductive, hilarious, political and maybe outrageous cabaret. Featuring performances from Romeo de la Cruz, Trash Salad, Sarjana, Dragon Acid, Sugar Kane, Twatu, Bovril Lavigne & Pink Lotus.
Christopher Brett Bailey: I SAW SATAN AT THE 7-ELEVEN | Battersea Arts Centre | 17 November | £13
A book launch for Christopher Brett Bailey’s first foray into literary fiction, which has been described as Fear and Loathing meets South Park in a screwball horror novella!
My Neighbour Totoro | Barbican | From 21 November | From £25
One of our theatrical highlights of 2022 returns to the Barbican – we’re already booked to see it again on New Years Eve, but you should get a ticket as soon as you can. Just beautiful.
High Times & Dirty Monsters | Bernie Grant Arts Centre | 24 & 25 November | From £8
Funny, raw and surprising stories about being young & disabled, told by an amazing collective of actors, beatboxers, rappers, and dancers.
Oruro: Carnival of Legends | Canada Water Theatre | 25 November | £20
An immersive tale which promises to weave moments of discovery and revelation between the contagious beats of Bolivian folk music.
Dreaming and Drowning | Bush Theatre | From 28 November | From £15
Kwame Owusu’s play sets out to deliver an intimate and visceral deep-dive into the boundless mind of a young Black queer man wrestling with anxiety.
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.
