Christmas Lock & Key Party

Original Dating are bringing their Christmas Lock & Key Party to The Fitz Regent on Friday 13 November, a singles night that does things a bit differently from your standard speed dating. The whole thing is built around a lock and key icebreaker: everyone gets either a lock or a key, and you spend the evening working the room to find the person whose key fits your lock. If you find your match, you both get a chance to win a prize.

It's a good way to get people talking without the pressure of a timed rotation. The night brings together around 80 singles of a similar age, with a balanced male-to-female ratio, so you're not walking into a room where the numbers are skewed. The icebreaker is the main event, but the night doesn't end when you leave the venue. The following day, you can see a list of everyone who turned up and pick the people you're interested in; the system then reveals the mutual matches through the service's messenger, so you can take things further without having to make a move on the spot.

Original Dating is a London-based speed dating provider that's been running since 2003. They've staged around 5,000 events with more than 150,000 attendees, so this isn't their first go at a singles night. They describe the Lock & Key as a Christmas party like no other, and the icebreaker is exactly that — a way to break the ice that gives you a reason to talk to people you might otherwise have walked past.

Doors open at 19:30, the icebreaker kicks off at 20:00, and there's a prize draw at 22:00. Tickets are £20, or £10 if you have a DatePass. Advance booking is essential, as no tickets are sold on the door, so you'll need to get yours sorted before you head down to The Fitz Regent, 7-8 Castle Square, Brighton BN1 1EG.