Fri 21 April - Gamuso comedy show in Asagaya brings us more stand-up comedy to kick off the weekend. There's Nerd Nite Tokyo, which has a special theme of open science in Japan and is at Accenture Digital Hub this month. And another intriguingly-titled talk, News, The Media, Entertainment, Information and Fakery by David Schlesinger, the previous editor-in-chief of Reuters. The Ginrei Cinema still has that double bill that's entirely in English: Everybody Wants Some and Florence Foster Jenkins. Or if you're in the mood for a bit of Broadway, Singin' in the Rain is at Tokyo Theatre Orb til the end of the month. And it's the final day of the Japan and Hong Kong Independent Film Festival (with English subtitles).

Sat 22 April - You know I think Comedy Sumo Slam is one of the best comedy nights in town. Sad to be missing it myself... but you don't have to: it's on tonight! Topical comedy based on the week's news stories. Plus today is the first day of a 2-week movie director retrospective and old film fans: prepare to go wild: it's Ernst Lubitsch at Cinemavera. And L'Institut Francais in Iidabashi is showing The Intruder today at 11am and The Woods Dreams are Made Of at 5:10, both reportedly with English subtitles.

Sun 23 April - Pirates of Tokyo Bay, Tokyo's bilingual improv show, is on tonight at What the Dickens in Ebisu.

Mon 24 April - Tonight is an International Headliner Comedy Night, featuring the fabulous Lou Sanders, a 'surrealist comedienne' who has come over from the UK after a hit show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival that got great reviews like this one. Don't miss it.

Tue 25 April - Nothing tonight, so head over to that Ernst Lubitsch retrospective at Cinemavera

Wed 26 April - Good Heavens Comedy Club hosts its regular stand-up comedy show tonight. Or else go to Pecha Kucha, with cool arty and architecty talks in English and Japanese.

Thu 27 April - Having start-up problems? Like to learn from (laugh at) the mistakes of others? You might enjoy the international sensation F*ckup Nights, at the Hub in Meguro. In a mix of English and Japanese, innovators talk about the lower points of their enterprises. Or there's a bilingual theatre production called Mori - Tales of Shonai.

Fri 28 April - It's the last Friday of the month, and that means an extravaganza of options. Improvazilla is a fantastic improv show, complete with an improvised musical. Drunk Poets See God is a slam poetry open mic night and tonight is their 50th show! Dr Sketchy's Anti-Art School combines burlesque and drawing.

Sat 29 April - Shawshank Redemption starts screening at 10am every day at Toho Nihonbashi and Rear Window at Toho Shinjuku (they reverse the following week). Also today and tomorrow, Beauty and the Beast is playing at Tokyo International Forum with live chorus and orchestra. And an amazing Warner Bros retrospective kicks off at Shin Bungeiza cinema in Ikebukuro today til May 8th. Here's the flyer.

Sun 30 April - From 11:30-3:30 you can go to a rakugo show (Japanese storytelling) which will be half in Japanese and half in English. Then Beauty and the Beast is playing at Tokyo International Forum with live chorus and orchestra - it's in English and it should be delightful. Also, this is the last day to see Singin' in the Rain is at Tokyo Theatre Orb. I thought it was lovely.

Mon 1 and Tue 2 May - The quiet of Golden Week descends on Tokyo... And so it's time to settle down at the movies to the Warner Bros retrospective at Shin Bungeiza cinema in Ikebukuro, the Ernst Lubitsch retrospective at Cinemavera in Shibuya, and the Toho 10am films (Shawshank Redemption and Rear Window).

Wed 3 May - Good Heavens Comedy Club is back with its regular stand-up comedy show tonight.

Thu 4 May - Better get back to the cinema - not much else happening today.

Fri 5 May - A Golden Week treat: tonight is That's What She Said, Tokyo's first all-woman comedy show, complete with charity auction and other fun things. Your beloved Perfect Liars Host Layla will be performing. Also, Gamuso comedy show in Asagaya is back.

Plan ahead

Thu 11 May - It's Perfect Liars Club! And for extra excitement, we have one of America's top storytellers, coming to Tokyo to be one of May's four suspects...  You won't want to miss it. Buy tickets now.

Fri 14 April - Head to Roppongi for Balls to the Wall stand-up comedy tonight. Or get political at a talk at Temple University about What Trump's presidency will mean for the Middle-East. Also, we hear the UK's National Theatre Live program will be bringing us Hangmen, opening today: morning shows at Toho Roppongi and evening shows at Toho Nihonbashi. Time Out called this Royal Court production 'The funniest play in London right now'. The plot: what's the second-best hangman in England to do on the day they've abolished hanging?

Sat 15 April - At last: the Ginrei Cinema has a double bill that's entirely in English. Go see Everybody Wants Some and Florence Foster Jenkins. Or if you're in more of a theatre mood, Singin' in the Rain is at Tokyo Theatre Orb til the end of the month. I saw it, it's in English, and it's delightful.

Sun 16 April - It's my favourite art event in Tokyo - Pausedraw! Go along for free at 4pm, bring a sketchpad and something to draw with, and enjoy a social art experience - drawing exercises and games for people at every level of skill.

Mon 17 April - Tonight there's open mic stand up comedy at Otsuka near Ikebukuro. Or if you're feeling a bit more wonky, how about The Future of Peacebuilding: Lessons from Afghanistan at UN University?

Tue 18 April - Space cafe is tonight. Not only does it feature a cool, publicly accessible talk from a NASA expert about Venus, which you can listen to while enjoying a drink, it has the best event title ever: The Ataksuki Venus Spacecraft Rises from the Dead to Explore the Depths of Hell. A must-see.

Wed 19 April - If you like rakugo (Japanese storytelling performance), there's a big treat tonight: my favourite English-language rakugo performer has a rakugo show in the Fukagawa Edo Museum theatre in Kiyosumi. Or Good Heavens comedy club is tonight for some of Tokyo's top stand-up comedy. And there's a lecture about traditional colours in Japan which is in English too.

Thu 20 April - If you're into global development, UN University has a symposium on Global Companies and the SDGs this afternoon. If you're still at the UN in the evening, check out another talk on Japan's challenges at the United Nations. Or go see Hangmen at Toho Nihonbashi?

Fri 21 April - Gamuso comedy show in Asagaya brings us more stand-up comedy to kick off the weekend. There's Nerd Nite Tokyo, which has a special theme of open science in Japan and is at Accenture Digital Hub this month. And another intriguingly-titled talk, News, The Media, Entertainment, Information and Fakery by David Schlesinger, the previous editor-in-chief of Reuters.

Planning ahead

Next Perfect Liars Club show is on May 11th. Buy tickets.

Fri April 7 - Kick off the weekend early at 4:45pm with an interesting-sounding talk on the role of digital technology in public art. Later, it's the latest edition of Apocrypha, the edgy storytelling show, sharing emotional tales on the topic of temptation at Bar Gari Gari. Or Gamuso comedy show is tonight in Asagaya. And remember: the Broadway show Singin' in the Rain is on all week! And you can still see the fab filmed version of Miss Saigon from London at Toho Nichigeki til the 13th.

Sat April 8 - Quite a cool-sounding Art of Disney exhibition is opening today at Miraikan in Odaiba. Then the place to be tonight is obviously Comedy Sumo Slam. It's a topical comedy gameshow based on this week's news, and even better, your beloved Perfect Liars Club MC Layla is performing! 7pm, Two Dogs Taproom Roppongi. Or if you don't like your comedy served with a side of competition, there's also the Vega Comedy Show in Ebisu tonight. Or if you're a Trainspotting fan, there's a special screening today at 7pm at Marunouchi Piccadilly cinema, so you can watch it prior to Trainspotting 2, which launches today. (there's also a Trainspotting pop-up bar at Parco Shibuya!). Finally, if you are feeling even more hardcore, head over to Shin-Bungeiza cinema in Ikebukuro at 10:30pm for a Lars von Trier all-nighter! Breaking the Waves, Dancer in the Dark and Antichrist. Then stagger home about 6am on Sunday...

Sun April 9 - Go listen to Jim Douglas read from his critically acclaimed and recently published crime suspense novel, Tokyo Nights at Good Heavens, 5pm. There aren't very many author events in English in Tokyo, so enjoy this one! It's also the final day of the David Bowie exhibition.

Mon April 10 - Tonight, Good Heavens is kicking off a new night, Monday at the Movies. Be there by 7:30pm to enjoy the classic film noir, Double Indemnity. Free, in English, with Japanese subtitles (and the full bar and food menu will be available throughout the film). Come along and persuade them to make it a regular event! There's also open mic comedy at Otsuka so go laugh and/or make people laugh. 

Tue April 11 - Not much on tonight, so maybe time to head to the cinema? I thought Jackie was quite depressing. If I was recommending a film to see, I'd go for Passengers, Sing, or Moana. This week I'm planning to see Lego Batman and Lion. Moonlight and La la Land are still out too. I also hear people are enjoying Ghost in the Shell and of course there's Trainspotting 2, though both are a bit too alarming for me personally.

Wed April 12 - Good Heavens Comedy Club is tonight. Or if you are interested in women's and LGBT rights, the Canadian Embassy is hosting Equality for All this evening, including the Japan premiere of English-language film Freedom to Marry, and a panel discussion about parallels between women's rights and LGBT rights, with lessons from Canada, US, Taiwan, Australia and Japan. Buy tickets by Friday 7th to guarantee entry.

Thu April 13 - Your favourite show in Tokyo, Perfect Liars Club is tonight. Hooray! Buy your tickets now! (or you can get them for 2000 yen on the door). Four people tell a crazy story but only three are true. Listen, laugh, interrogate, and vote. Are you shrewd enough to spot the liar? This show is so much fun.

Fri April 14 - Tonight in Roppongi there's Balls to the Wall comedy. Or get political at a talk at Temple University about What Trump's presidency will mean for the Middle-East. Also, we hear the UK's National Theatre Live program will be bringing us Hangmen, opening tonight at Toho Roppongi. Time Out called this Royal Court production 'The funniest play in London right now'. The plot: what's the second-best hangman in England to do on the day they've abolished hanging? Check the cinema website for details - they weren't available yet when I looked.