Plumbobrainier

Having only been to The Blue Elephant once, in order to see an absurdist Swedish caberet duo (whose show climaxed with a reimagining of the theme to Titanic, complete with model toy ship), I am, perhaps, ill-equipped to comment on the place as a venue or theatrical arts hub.

But what I can say is that The Blue Elephant is a delightfully ramshackle theatre with creaky steps, about sixteen seats and a bar with one type of beer and two types of wine: red or white - you'll have to go elsewhere for a wider selection of grapes.

Based on what we saw, The Blue Elephant takes risks, which suggests that sometimes you might see something of just-above school play standard, but that you will, occasionally, come across a transcendent work of blistering art. Like that Titanic thing.

KOKO is one challenging venue, not just for the crowd, who have to negotiate the stairways and corridors to get from floor to floor, and take out a loan to fund a few drinks at the bar, but for the artist too. The acoustics of the place mean it's a fickle do-or-die venue, a cavernous space where sound and atmosphere can either triumphantly fill every corner, or fizzle out and die on the stage. I've seen both happen and it's to KOKO's credit that when the second scenario occurs, there's at least a nice building to admire. But then, that's like having cold, ashen coffee from a gleaming gold chalice.

Love this place from our time living in Crouch End. A favourite haunt of the likes of Stewart Lee, Simon Pegg and many more, the pub proper has a great atmosphere and a fine selection of premium Belgian beers (and I'm reliably informed the wine's not bad for pub-fare either). The venue down below, which plays host to comedy nights of the highest order, is cosy (in estate agent parlance) but affords a far more intimate vibe. There are also plenty of other great bars and eateries nearby on virtually the same road, so you can leave for a bit before you inevitably come back!

For Pegg-geeks, the cornershop he goes to in Shaun of the Dead is a mere ten minute's stroll away, so why not drunkenly recreate the scene to the amusement of the shop-owners?