Theatre in London, England
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
- The Wild Party (2017) - starring Frances Ruffelle and John Owen-Jones
- 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, starring Carrie Hope Fletcher
- 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
References
- ^ a b "St James Theatre in London's West End opens". BBC News. 18 September 2012. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
- ^ a b "About the St. James Theatre". St James Theatre. Retrieved 19 December 2012.
- ^ Alistair Smith (6 May 2009). "New plans to breathe life into Westminster Theatre". The Stage. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
- ^ a b "St. James Theatre becomes The Other Palace". Really Useful Group. 26 September 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
- ^ "Project: St James Theatre, Westminster". Foster Wilson Architects. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
- ^ "Andrew Lloyd Webber to sell The Other Palace". WhatsOnStage.com. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
- ^ a b Hemley, Matthew (28 October 2021). "Bill Kenwright buys the Other Palace from Lloyd Webber". The Stage. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
