St James Theatre | Theatre Guide

Venue info

The Other Palace is a theatre in London's Off West End which opened on 18 September 2012 as the St. James Theatre.

History

Described as "the first newly built theatre complex in central London for 30 years", the building was designed by Foster Wilson Architects. The theatre began its debut season in September 2012 with the London premiere of Sandi Toksvig's Bully Boy. 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. 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." In October 2021, it was announced the theatre had been sold to Bill Kenwright. Kenwright had previously produced musicals including Heathers and Be More Chill at The Other Palace.

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) Cruel Intentions: The '90s Musical (2024) – UK premiere The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical (2024) – UK premiere 50 First Dates: The Musical (2025) – World premiere

Accessibility

Available at this venue:

Wheelchair-accessible entrance

Accessibility information supplied by Google Maps. Please contact the venue directly to confirm details for your visit.

What visitors say

4.0 · 11 years ago

What a real pleasure it was to attend a show at the St. James Theatre last night! Shiny and new, the St. James offers an experience where every seat in the house offers an amazing view! Although the seats are a bit tightly packed (my 6'2" boyfriend had his knees pressed up against the seat in front of him), they're super comfortable. Prepare to queue for the loo at intermission, though I feel that's quite standard for most theatres. Overall, a great night out.

— Nancy Silverman

5.0 · 12 years ago

This is a stunning new theatre in the heart of Victoria's newest development; hopefully a landmark that will revitalise the area a little more. I visited to see 'In the Next Room' recently, and enjoyed the space around me almost as much as the play itself: the auditorium has terrific sight lines and is very comfortable and smart. Staff here also go out of their way to be helpful: we were late arriving to the performance, but were re-assigned better seats to compensate for missing part of the play. I would advise visitors to plan their journey carefully as we got lost on the way: perhaps as a result of the current building work in Victoria, the theatre is not as well signposted as it could be.

— Abi Silvester

5.0 · 9 years ago

I loved it. It is a cosy theater where the stage is close to you, even if you are sitting at the back. Loved every second I spent at the theater

— Michelle Marie Abela

5.0 · 12 years ago

We wanted somewhere to have lunch before going to a matinee performance of Billy Elliot at the nearby Palace Theatre and passed by the St James Theatre. We used the upstairs Carrara restaurant and opted for the set menu. Our waitress, Justyna was lovely , very friendly and attentive. The food was excellent, great quality and tasty. I would definitely recommend this venue to eat. Downstairs, the brasserie was very busy so I assume that it's just as good there too. Not knowing that this was a theatre, I will also be looking to visit and will be keeping an eye out for a performance to watch.

— Steve Miller

Reviews sourced from Google Maps.