PALACE THEATRE
Shaftesbury Avenue,
London, W1D 5AY
The Palace Theatre was originally built in 1891 for Richard D’Oyly Carte as The Royal English Opera House. It was on an island site at the end of Shaftesbury Avenue, overlooking Cambridge Circus. But is was a failure as an opera house and quickly converted into the Palace Theatre of Varieties in 1892. The name changed to The Palace Theatre in 1911
In 1908 Emblin Walker reconstructed the amphitheatre and in 1989 the exterior was restored to its former glory.
The Palace Theatre was the venue for Fred Astaire's final stage musical Gay Divorce which opened there in 1933. At the end of the twentieth century there were two exceptionally long running musicals the Palace Theatre: Jesus Christ Superstar and Les Misérables which ran for eighteen years after transferring from the Barbican Centre in 1985. It was moved about 100 metres up the road to the Queen's Theatre in 2004 where it is still running.
When Les Miserables transferred, the Palace Theatre was refurbished with marble walls uncovered and restored and new chandeliers hung. The Palace Theatre's current capacity is 1400.
Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Woman in White had its world premiere in 2004 and ran for 19 months followed by Monty Python's Spamalot from October 2006.
HOW TO GET TO THE PALACE THEATRE
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Tube : Leicester Square (Northern and Piccadilly lines) |
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14, 19, 22, 24, 38, 40, 176 |
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China Town Masterpark, Newport Place, Soho. This theatre participates in the Theatreland Parking Scheme - find out more about the great discounts offered by clicking on the link. |
DISABLED ACCESS TO PALACE THEATRE
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Infra-red system with headsets. Induction loop at Box Office. Headsets available in foyer. |
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Guide dogs are permitted inside the auditorium |
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No steps to auditorium through a side EXIT on Shaftesbury Avenue. One 3cm step into the theatre and a slight incline to stalls which has one space for a wheelchair/scooter user and their companion at W27. . |
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Adapted toilet by wheelchair users' entrance. |