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Real-life Squid Game isn’t anywhere near as scary as it sounds.
If you’re quick-witted and clever it should really be a breeze – especially if you’ve been checking out our selection of London‘s best free fitness activities…
And with the weather promising to be scorching this week, there’s lots of fun to be had both out in the sunshine and indoors in the lovely air-conditioning.
Check out The Slice’s picks of things to do in town in June 2023, from Pride par-tees at Puttshack to Polo in the Park.
Squid Games at Immersive Gamebox
Have you ever wondered how you’d cope if you ever got to play Squid Games in real life? Immersive Gamebox is a little bit of game-playing magic that lets you find out – and without any risk to your life, which is pretty handy.
Up to six players get one hour to try their hand at all the challenges involved in the series, from Tug of War to Red Light, Green Light. This is all thanks to a special motion tracking (you have to wear a visor with some weird prongs on it for that), projection mapping, touch screen and surround sound. Your success is down to a lot of quick thinking and definitely team work.
Adding a new layer to the dangerously simple tasks from the show, the Gamebox has some virtual twists: in Red Light, Green Light you’re instructed to get to a certain spot on the floor which links up to an icon on the wall, before finally reaching (or not), the end, while honeycomb cutting sees you become the needle, carefully mapping out increasingly tricky shapes.
Squid Games not your thing? Try Paw Patrol, Angry Birds, Temple of Coins or an Alien Aptitude Test.
Prices vary (London Southbank tickets from £37), various venues.
Chesterton’s Polo In The Park
Polo might seem like one of life’s more exclusive games. (It does, after all, require the ability to ride a horse.) But Polo in the Park, the world’s largest three-day polo festival, is determined to prove that the sport is for everyone, with teams from around the world competing for a general audience of all ages (younger patrons might prefer the family-friendly day on Sunday), who are well served by a vast array of brilliant food and drink.
To keep keen customers satisfied, Champagne Lanson are kicking things off early, with a special brunch at Brasserie Blanc Fulham Reach on Friday, before the day’s games begin. Saddle up people…
9-11 June, Hurlingham Park, Fulham.
Putt for Pride at Puttshack
There’s a real par-tee (sorry) going down at Puttshack this month. Partnering with Not A Phase, the only UK charity that focuses solely on the support of trans adults, Putt for Pride will see every hole in one scored throughout June achieve a 5p donation – with a whopping target total of £10,000.
There’s also the return of bottomless Drag brunches at their Bank branch, incredible sharing plates and limited-edition rainbow-hued Hennessy Island cocktails, fun-filled gameplay and DJ’s every Friday and Saturday. It’s going to be tee-riffic (sorry again!).
Until June 30, various venues.
Carnaby’s Street Eat
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CARNABY
Carnaby has a rep as one of London’s most exciting foodie spots with over 60 restaurants and bars spanning more than 30 cuisines. Now it’s inviting you to tuck into an array of gourmet experiences at Carnaby’s Street Eat, including new menus, a restaurant hopping tour, limited edition £5 dishes, masterclasses and more.
Swing by to sample special deals and dishes from Dishoom, Island Poké, Pastaio, Korean Dinner Party, Club Mexicana and bar kroketa – and bring your appetite!
@CarnabyLondon
Until 15 June, Carnaby Street, Soho.
London’s best… free fitness activities
BEST DANCE: Salsa Tropical
Prone to feelings of jealousy whenever Strictly comes on? Shelve that envy by heading to Salsa Tropical in Temple, where you’ll learn how to groove with the help of a supportive professional dancer. You’ll dance with joy when you discover taster sessions are completely free!
BEST INTENSE: #TrainLikeARanger with Bear Grylls
Bear Grylls has done all kinds of insane things, so him hosting a grueling 45-minute fitness class on the banks of the Thames isn’t even that surprising. Join him in the Wildlife Ranger Challenge with Tusk and Be Military Fit at 8am sharp. Donations here.
16 June, The Coaling Jetty, Battersea Power Station.
BEST RUNNING: London City Runners
Yesterday Team Metro took part in a 5k Race for Life at Battersea Park (and were very speedy!). If we’ve inspired you to get running yourself then this club is the one to join. They are independent, social membership for their riverside runs is free, and they’ve even got their own clubhouse on Bermondsey Beer Mile.
FREE bottomless rosé at M Canary Wharf
It’s National Rosé Day this Saturday, and to celebrate those generous folks at the award-winning M Canary Wharf will be serving up glasses of crisp, cold, bottomless Mirabeau Rosé on their brand-new riverside terrace.
They’re on the house from noon until 1pm, so you can sip to your heart’s content with a complimentary glass (or two!) and bask in the sunshine as you take in the spectacular views of the Canary Wharf skyline. It’s first come, first served – so be quick!
10 June, M Canary Wharf, 10 Newfoundland Place, London.
Chris Ofili: The Seven Deadly Sins
Chris Ofili’s work is all about contrasts. It’s garish and subtle, sacred and profane – and really, really good. His truly stunning new set of paintings are beguiling from a distance, with perfectly judged tonal contrasts and strange colouring.
But up close they’re even better, rewarding close reading by being packed full of shadows, silhouettes, and impressionistic pock-marking. The one-time altar boy from Manchester has grown up with a subversive interest in the sinful.
We’re all the better for it, when the outcomes are this good.
Until 29 July, Victoria Miro, Angel.
Patriots ★★★★
Given the situation in Ukraine, there’s hardly a more urgent topic for dramatic inquiry than Putin’s Russia. But with terrible prescience Patriots was written before the war kicked off.
It is a scintillating study in power dynamics, lit up by two knockout, yet contrasting, performances – where Tom Hollander exudes renegade charisma as oligarch-turned-dissident Boris Berezovsky, Will Keen’s Putin is a sinister void of personality.
A penetrating night out – and a treat to see a vital contemporary play on a big West End stage.
Until 18 August, Noel Coward Theatre.
No Jiggery Pokery Comedy Show
In a world full of jiggery pokery, what better way to spend an evening than laughing at all the nonsense we have to go through in our everyday lives?
Cawston Press’ No Jiggery Pokery Comedy Show promises a night of side-splitting laughter and entertainment at the Clapham Grand, where the likes of Amir Shah, Lou Reed and Pierre Novellie will feed our cravings for funny in support of FareShare, a charity fighting hunger and tackling food waste in the UK.
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Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
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