It gets a good selection of musicians and comedians in, so the Olympia's definitely worth going to, but it was a theatre built for an age when people were about the same size as hobbits (if you have a better way to explain why they give you NO leg room, be my guest). Just expect a cramped evening if you're sitting down and over 6 foot, that's all I'm saying.

But that being said, it's a fine venue and you generally feel like you're pretty close to the acts (although be wary of vertigo if you're in the upper circle, you're at a pretty nasty angle to the stage), so if someone you like is on go nuts. And if you want a ticket and can drop into the box office, I recommend you get it there instead of online. Ticketmaster will screw you with fees every time, and if you walk into the box office you can choose where you'd like to sit.

Basically the Olympia is a superb venue for live music (if you're standing that is). It's intimate, yet the crowd is big enough for atmosphere. Views are generally good, and the acoustics are excellent.

That said, if you're seated (particularly higher up) you're essentially looking down at the top of the performers' heads. And if you're even a tiny bit above average height as a man your knees will be cramped up around your nipples. O and the last time I was there I waited half an hour for the cloakroom at the end of the night. No fun.

I saw a standup funny-man here the other day (Jimmy Carr). I think there are a few great things that make this a good venue. I don't think you can forget the history of the place, given that the inside is the history of the place - I dont know whether it has ever been done up (it must have been in 130yrs) but the place still looks the same as I imagine it would have done back in the day. It's a small venue with a relatively large capacity which means that everyone is close to the stage - so you really get to feel that you're part of the show. The fact that this place is so central to the city is also great because it means there's an endless variety of pubs/restaurants nearby. I've subtracted a few stars though because I found the leg-room too restrictive and it kept reminding me throughtout the show of a cheap low budget flight....not good.