What’s On This Weekend: St George’s Day Special

Break out the ale and commence the Morris dancing – it’s England’s national day on Sunday. For culture vultures, April 23 is also Shakespeare’s birthday.

St George’s Day

The Mayor of London is hosting free St George’s Day celebrations in Trafalgar Square from noon to 6pm on Saturday, with feasting, food stalls, games, music and performances.

Watch medieval knights fighting at the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens St George’s Festival on Saturday and Sunday; armoured combat with axes, falconry, jesters, minstrels and Punch and Judy are promised, plus a hog roast and ale tent.

Foodie paradise Borough Market is holding a rare Sunday opening for England’s national day. Why not feast on a patriotic picnic of English cheese and charcuterie?

Closer to home the Greensleeves Morris Men are due to perform at the Sultan pub on Norman Rd, Wimbledon, at 4pm on Saturday.

Shakespeare’s Birthday

The Globe’s summer season opens this weekend in time for the Bard’s birthday with Romeo & Juliet. First night Saturday 7.30pm, Sunday 6.30pm, tickets from £5 (standing).

The Globe is running Bard’s Birthday events including its Sweet Love Remember’d Sonnet Walks through the city accompanied by Shakespearean verse; start at either Westminster or Shoreditch and finish at the Globe. Saturday and Sunday 11am, tickets £19.

While we’re talking Shakespeare, Andrew Scott – best known for his googly-eyed Moriarty in Sherlock – has blown all the critics away with his Hamlet. Book now for the show’s West End run at the Harold Pinter Theatre from June.

Go Dancing

The Natural History Museum is holding one of its fabled After School Clubs for grown ups on Friday, April 21. From 7pm, enjoy roaming the Gothic halls after hours, with hands on activities like clay modelling, drinks, snacks and an inflatable planetarium. From 10.15pm dance at the Silent School Disco. Club £30, disco £22, both £48.

Sunday is the Mayor of Merton’s Charity Ball in aid of the Wimbledon Guild, held in the Courtside Restaurant at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, Church Rd, from 6.45pm to midnight. Tickets £90, more details 020 8545 3517.

Get Active

Runners can Chase The Sun round Wimbledon Common next Wednesday, April 26, racing to finish either a 5K or 10K course before sunset.

If you’re still working on your running, why not join Anna Desogus’s running group on Monday at 7pm on Wimbledon Common? Book runs here, or message Anna Health Coaching [@_anna_desogus] on Twitter to find out more. She also runs a walking group on Thursday mornings: it meets next on April 27 at 8am outside Wimbledon station. Both groups £10, first session free.

Start Gardening

Even with no garden of your own you can get involved by joining the Big Dig at Phipps Bridge Community Garden on the Phipps Bridge Allotments on Saturday 10am-2pm – one of 35 community food-growing gardens across London.

Theatre

Junkyard, the brilliant new musical by the multi-talented Jack Thorne – writer of Harry Potter and The Cursed Child, Skins, This Is England, National Treasure and more – opened at Rose Theatre Kingston on Wednesday this week. Tickets £6-£31, until April 30.

Read my interview with Jack Thorne here.

Tots can enjoy Chicken Lickin’ at the Polka Theatre on Saturday and Sunday, April 22-23. Hurry, it’s selling out fast! Tickets from £9.

In Brief

Learn to sail at the water sports centre in Wimbledon Park this summer. A week’s course from £225, dates start May 30.

Vote for your favourite of the three short-listed pictures for this year’s BP Portrait Prize. Tweet to @NPGLondon using the hashtag #BPPortrait.

Their Finest, starring Rosamund Pike as a young woman writing propaganda films during the Blitz, is probably the best of this week’s film releases. Rated 12A.