Inspiring Locations

The main ballroom at the Rivoli. Photo: http://rivolilondon.com/ The Rivoli Ballroom in Brockley is a real hidden find; even when standing directly outside it you have no idea of how special it is inside. From the street the building looks shabby an unassuming, but inside is a beautiful 1950s ballroom complete with a proper sprung wood dance floor, red velour on the walls and dozens of chandeliers and chinese lanterns hanging from the ceiling. It's super-kitch and oh-so beautiful. Tucked away off to one side is a long 'booth' bar room with friendly staff and the feel of an old university college bar or even a railway buffet car. There's another 'lounge' bar and an old-school ladies 'powder room' with plenty of room for a girlie hang out, plus another 'gold' ballroom with a ceiling made to look as if it's covered in old paintings which can be hired but isn't used for normal events as far as I can tell. In keeping with the 1950s them...

Brockley Jack Theatre and pub The Brockley Jack Theatre , attached to a pub (with pretty decent food - don't be put off by the website!) is a friendly intimate studio space in South East London. They show a diverse range of film, comedy and theatre on a regular basis and they even run an annual new writing festival for aspiring playwrights. The theatre seats a maximum of 50 people on some of the comfiest venue seats I've ever experienced (although note that there are some padded benches at the back), and because the room is small and the rake of the seats is good, there isn't a bad spot in the house. Planning a trip: Crofton Park is the nearest station and is just a couple of minutes walk away while buses 122, 171, 172 and the P4 stop almost outside. Otherwise there's plenty of parking in the surrounding streets. Grab a bite to eat in the pub before a show and have a chat with the super-friendly staff while you are there.