Friday Late: Come out to Play

Uncover the secrets, scandals and history of London’s Theatreland and the ever-changing entertainment industry at London Transport Museum’s Friday Late.

Immerse yourself in mini opera performances, create a masquerade mask or fan, and get made-up in style with Urban Decay cosmetics. With bars, music, talks, tours, a quiz, and creative make-and-take workshops guests can enjoy a range of activities inspired by the Museum’s latest exhibition Sounds of the City. Guests can experience the following activities:

Behind Closed Doors: discover intimate details of notorious cinema sirens and cabaret curiosities during an illustrated talk by Lucinda Gosling of the Mary Evans Picture Library, as she aims the spotlight at the seedy side of some of our 20th century capital’s nocturnal attractions.

Creative workshops: craft an enchanting theatrical mask or hand-held fan, and learn about the history of fans and their place in theatre, on and off stage.

Sound Tracks: a selection of world premiere immersive mini operas aboard vehicles and throughout the Museum’s galleries, inspired by the Museum’s collection and the Sounds of the City exhibition, performed by opera ensemble workshOPERA working with artists from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

In the Dark: Sounds of the City: close your eyes and open your ears to the sound of city life at this curated listening event. In the Dark have looted the archives to bring you audio from radio, podcasts and sound art that explore urban soundscapes.

The Evolution of the West End: learn how traditional theatre has adapted to captivate a new generation through immersive productions with Emma Brunjes, producer of the Olivier nominated ‘Alice’s Adventures Underground’ set in the Waterloo Vaults.

Musical London Curator-led tours: delve deeper into the Museum’s latest Poster Parade which features a selection of posters commissioned to showcase London’s vibrant entertainment scene.

Carnival Heritage: Ishmahil Blagrove, author of Carnival, leads an expert panel recounting the history and iconic sound of Notting Hill Carnival illustrated with historical shots taken by renowned photographer Charlie Philips. Panel includes both the past-chairman and past-director of Notting Hill Carnival, Wilf Walker OBE and Leslie Palmer MBE.

The Drawing Circus: Costumed models interpret scenes inspired by the illustrations on show in the Sounds of the City exhibition, while guests try their hand at capturing them under artist Emma Hockley’s guidance.

Pop-up vintage shop by The Period Costume Shop: A selection of historical style accessories and trimmings for sale. Hand fans, gloves, silk stockings, hat pins, feathers, lace, and other vintage treasures.

Carnival make-up with Urban Decay: Urban Decay will be celebrating their first store in Covent Garden by offering free carnival make-up looks and 20% of all Urban Decay products purchased at the Museum on the night.