The Other Palace

Theatre in London, England

51°29′55″N 0°08′27″W / 51.49857°N 0.14091°W / 51.49857; -0.14091Public transitLondon Underground National Rail VictoriaOperatorBill KenwrightTypeOff West End theatreCapacityMain stage: 312
Studio theatre: 120ConstructionOpened18 September 2012; 11 years ago (2012-09-18)ArchitectFoster Wilson ArchitectsWebsitewww.theotherpalace.co.uk

The Other Palace is a theatre in London's Off West End which opened on 18 September 2012 as the St. James Theatre.[1] It features a 312-seat main theatre and a 120-seat studio theatre.[2] It was built on the site of the former Westminster Theatre, which was damaged by a fire in 2002 and subsequently demolished.[3] It was owned by Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Theatres Group from 2016 to 2021, which gave it its current name.[4]

Described as "the first newly built theatre complex in central London for 30 years",[2] the building was designed by Foster Wilson Architects.[5] The theatre began its debut season in September 2012 with the London premiere of Sandi Toksvig's Bully Boy.[1]

After its acquisition by Really Useful Theatres Group, Paul Taylor Mills was appointed as the new artistic director, with a programme intended to develop new musicals. The name change became official in February 2017.[4] In June 2018, Chris Harper stepped into the role of Director of Programming.

In May 2021, Lloyd Webber announced he was putting the theatre up for sale, calling the decision "heart-wrenching" and adding that he hoped "the future owners will love it as much as I have."[6]

In October 2021, it was announced the theatre had been sold to Bill Kenwright.[7] Kenwright had previously produced musicals including Heathers and Be More Chill at The Other Palace.[7]

Notable productions

  • La Strada - London transfer following UK tour, directed by Sally Cookson, starring Audrey Brisson
  • The Last Five Years (2016) - starring Jonathan Bailey and Samantha Barks
  • Big Fish (2017) - UK premiere starring Kelsey Grammer, directed by Nigel Harman
  • Eugenius! (2018) - World premiere (following concert at London Palladium in 2016)
  • Heathers The Musical (2018 - 2023) - UK premiere (following workshop in the studio in 2017) before transferring to the Theatre Royal Haymarket, 2018-2021, starring Carrie Hope Fletcher In Original Production
  • The Messiah (2018) - London transfer following UK tour, written and directed by Patrick Barlow, starring Hugh Dennis, Martin Marquez and Lesley Garrett
  • Falsettos (2019) - UK premiere starring Daniel Boys, Joel Montague, Laura Pitt-Pulford, Oliver Savile. Natasha J Barnes, Gemma Knight-Jones
  • Amélie (2019) - UK premiere (London transfer following UK tour), starring Audrey Brisson
  • Be More Chill (2020) - UK premiere (cut short due to COVID-19 pandemic)

External links

  • Official website

References

  1. ^ a b "St James Theatre in London's West End opens". BBC News. 18 September 2012. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
  2. ^ a b "About the St. James Theatre". St James Theatre. Retrieved 19 December 2012.
  3. ^ Alistair Smith (6 May 2009). "New plans to breathe life into Westminster Theatre". The Stage. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
  4. ^ a b "St. James Theatre becomes The Other Palace". Really Useful Group. 26 September 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  5. ^ "Project: St James Theatre, Westminster". Foster Wilson Architects. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
  6. ^ "Andrew Lloyd Webber to sell The Other Palace". WhatsOnStage.com. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  7. ^ a b Hemley, Matthew (28 October 2021). "Bill Kenwright buys the Other Palace from Lloyd Webber". The Stage. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
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