The Other Palace

The Other Palace is a theatre and creative hub at 12 Palace Street, London SW1E 5JA, in Victoria. Its programme and development work centre on discovering, developing, exploring and celebrating theatre, with particular space for new work and musical theatre. The venue also presents drama, cabaret, comedy and live music.

The building’s story reaches back to 1766, when the site began as Charlotte Chapel. The chapel was converted into St James’ Picture Theatre in 1924, then reopened as the Westminster Theatre in 1931; its crypt was used for dressing rooms, a green room and a stalls bar. After the theatre closed in 1990 and the building was destroyed by fire in 2002, planning permission for a replacement theatre was granted in 2009. The current theatre opened as St James Theatre in 2012 and became The Other Palace after refurbishment in 2017.

The venue has a 300-seat Main Theatre for full-scale and work-in-progress productions, plus a Studio for up to 120 people. The Studio is described as an intimate, flexible space where writers and producers can test and refine material without complex sets. The Other Gin Palace provides an on-site meeting and refreshment space. Victoria Underground and railway stations are less than five minutes away, while the venue notes its proximity to Buckingham Palace and the resulting road closures nearby.

Main Theatre

The Main Theatre is shown on the official plan as an end-on auditorium, with the stage at the front and seating arranged in a broad fan. The plan labels rows A to N, with Row N at the rear. The venue describes Row N as the back row and places dedicated wheelchair spaces there at ground level. It also warns that the rake from Row N to the stage is fairly steep, which may not suit people with vertigo.

For extra legroom, the venue recommends the aisle seats at either end of Row G for assistance-dog users. It does not publish a general legroom measurement or a row-by-row legroom guide. Aisle-seat access in the Theatre auditorium involves at least one step; the auditorium itself has level access.

The Studio is a separate, flexible space rather than a fixed-seat auditorium. Its official access information names the Studio Floor and Upper Gallery levels. The Studio Floor and Upper Gallery are step-free via the lift, while the Studio has flexible seating; the venue’s visit information says it is general admission with no allocated seating and that its layout may change for a production.

The official information does not identify any specific restricted-view rows or seats, or explain a permanent obstruction affecting sightlines. The Main Theatre plan is therefore a useful guide to the regular end-on arrangement, but the venue cautions that the plan may change for individual production requirements.

The main entrance on Palace Street provides level access from the street into the foyer and bar. The Box Office is on the left in the foyer and is step free via this entrance. The main theatre auditorium has level access, with dedicated wheelchair spaces in Row N at ground level; the rake towards the stage is fairly steep. Aisle seats require at least one step, while wheelchair users may transfer to any auditorium seat if they can do so on foot. The Studio is reached by lift from the main foyer. Its Studio Floor and Upper Gallery are step free; an alternative route to the Gallery has four steps, while the Studio itself is 36 steps down from ground-floor level. There is room for two wheelchairs on the Studio Floor, and transfers into venue seats are possible there.

There are two accessible toilets: one in the ground-floor foyer and one outside the Studio entrance, reached step free by lift. Assisted listening uses the Sennheiser Mobile Connect app throughout the Main House and Studio; Bluetooth hearing aids can connect directly, while other users should bring wired headphones or ask the Box Office about hiring them.

The Access Scheme supports online booking of wheelchair positions, end-of-row seats and other accessible seats, and sends information about access performances. Its registration form includes captioned, BSL-interpreted and relaxed performances. Assistance dogs are welcome. Personal Assistant tickets are available at no additional cost for customers needing continuous support, subject to eligibility evidence. Register through the online form or contact access@theotherpalace.co.uk / 020 7592 0302. Confirm specific access requirements with the venue before visiting.

The Other Palace is closest to Victoria Underground station, served by the District, Circle and Victoria lines. The venue says it is a 2–5 minute walk from the theatre and recommends the Cardinal Place exit. Victoria railway station is also less than a five-minute walk away, with direct services towards Brighton, Kent, Surrey, Sussex and Gatwick Airport.

Bus routes operating in the area include 16, 38, 52, 73, 82, 42 and 148; check Transport for London for the best route and live service information.

If you are driving, roads beside the theatre are regularly closed because of its proximity to Buckingham Palace, so check the route before travelling. Nearby street parking meters accept payment by phone only. The nearest multi-storey car park is Q-Park Horseferry Road, around a 15-minute walk away; the venue notes that it is not part of the Q-Park scheme.

For step-free access, Victoria’s Cardinal Place exit is the closest Underground access point and is approximately 350 metres from the main entrance; the venue states that this station has step-free access. Customers with access requirements can be dropped off at the front of the theatre on Palace Street, using the automatic main entrance. Blue Badge holders may park by the theatre on Palace Street, just after the turning for Catherine Place. The venue does not provide cycle-parking or late-evening transport guidance on these pages.

The site’s theatrical story begins in 1766, when the building opened as Charlotte Chapel. It was converted into the St James’ Picture Theatre cinema in 1924, then reopened as the Westminster Theatre in 1931, with the former chapel crypt used for backstage and bar facilities.

The Westminster Theatre closed in 1990 and the building was destroyed by fire in 2002. Campaigners worked to restore a theatre to the site, and planning permission for a replacement was granted in 2009. The new venue opened in 2012 as St James Theatre, with a main auditorium and studio.

LW Theatres acquired St James Theatre in 2016. After refurbishment, it reopened in 2017 as The Other Palace, with a particular focus on developing musical theatre. Productions associated with this period include Heathers the Musical and Be More Chill, both of which later transferred to larger West End venues.

Bill Kenwright Ltd acquired the theatre from LW Theatres in 2021, marking the venue’s next change of ownership while retaining The Other Palace name.

Opening times depend on the performance schedule. The Other Gin Palace generally opens around show times, but access may be limited to ticket holders before a performance. Check the venue’s What’s On page or your booking information for the latest timings. The bar serves drinks, hot drinks, pizza and snacks.

Bags taken into the auditorium must be no larger than 40cm × 30cm × 15cm. There is no cloakroom, and the venue cannot store larger bags or suitcases. Security searches may take place, glass bottles are not allowed, and only food and drink bought at the venue may be consumed inside, except where medically required.

Children under four are admitted only when the performance specifically allows it, and under-12s must be accompanied by an adult aged 18 or over. Latecomers are admitted at the first suitable opportunity, which may be the interval, but admission is not guaranteed for every event. Recording or transmitting audio or video is prohibited; silence and put away phones and other electronic devices in the auditorium.