British Theatre

Venue

Shaftesbury Avenue. W1D 5AY

Palace Theatre

Palace Theatre is a London theatre venue featured on British Theatre. Explore upcoming shows, practical venue guidance, and ticket-booking insights before your visit.

Current attached shows

10

Venue info

Palace Theatre is a London theatre venue featured on British Theatre. Explore upcoming shows

practical venue guidance

and ticket-booking insights before your visit.

History

The Palace Theatre opened in January 1891 with the intention of being a home for English Grand Opera. Originally titled The Royal English Opera house

its first two productions (Ivanhoe and La Basoche) were successes

but there were no other works ready to fill the theatre. It was sold a year later

converted into a grand musical hall and renamed the Palace Theatre of Varieties. The theatre changed hands again in 1904 and new manager Alfred Butt emphasized a variety line-up

including dancing girls and film screenings (which began in 1897). In 1911

the theatres title was altered to The Palace Theatre

and saw memorable performance throughout the rest of the 20th Century. In 1922

the theatre played host to the famous comedy group The Marx Brothers

who performed selections from their shows on Broadway. The musical comedy No

No

Nanette opened in 1925 and ran for 665 performances. Other shows of this era include Princess Charming (1926)

The Girl Friend (1927) and Gay Divorce (1933); Fred Astaire’s final stage musical. These musical successes would continue with The Sound of Music (opening in 1961 and running for 2

385 performances)

Jesus Christ Superstar (1972-80)

and Les Miserables (1985)

which ran for 19 years before transferring to the Queens Theatre. Recent and popular productions include The Woman in White (2004-06)

Spamalot (2006-09)

and Priscilla Queen of the Desert (2009-11).

Past performances

The Commitments (27 September 2013 -)
Derren Brown's Infamous (24 June 2013 – 17 August 2013)
Singin’ in the Rain (4 February 2012 – 8 June 2013)
Priscilla Queen of the Desert (14 March 2009 – 31 December 2011)
Monty Python's Spamalot (30 September 2006 – 3 January 2009)
The Woman in White (15 September 2004 – 25 February 2006)


Transport

Tube

Waterloo

Train

Waterloo

Bus

14, 19, 24, 29, 38, 40, 176

Parking

NCP Upper St Martin’s Lane. Chinatown, Soho (Q Park Scheme). MasterPark Chinatown.

Seating plan

Palace Theatre seating plan

Accessibility

WHEELCHAIR ACCESS:

Wheelchair spaces and transfer seats available.

Are there adapted toilets?

An adapted toilet is available by the entrance to the theatre.

ASSISTED PERFORMANCES:Are there facilities for the hard-of-hearing?

There is an infrared system working throughout the auditorium.

Are guide dogs and/or hearing dogs permitted?

Access dogs are allowed inside the auditorium. Staff dog-sitting available.

Please contact the theatre directly for further information.

Shows currently at this venue

Live venue listings

REVIEW: Harry Potter And The Cursed Child, Palace Theatre ✭✭✭✭✭

27 July 2016

View listing

REVIEW: Kings Of Broadway, Palace Theatre ✭✭✭

29 November 2015

View listing

REVIEW: The Three Little Pigs, Palace Theatre ✭✭✭✭

5 August 2015

View listing

REVIEW: A Little Night Music Concert, Palace Theatre ✭✭✭✭

26 January 2015

View listing

REVIEW: The Commitments, Palace Theatre. ✭✭✭

7 October 2013

View listing

Verification notes

  • Current venue JSON verified locally on 2026-03-27.
  • Related BT archive posts: 5.

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