Palace Theatre
At Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W1D 5AY
About the Palace Theatre
The Palace Theatre was commissioned to become the home of grand opera. It opened as the ‘English Royal Opera House’ in 1891 with a lavish production of Arthur Sullivan’s Ivanhoe. When opera proved less lucrative than other entertainment, the theatre was sold and renamed 'Palace Theatre of Varieties' before finally settling as Palace Theatre in 1911.
At the start of the 20th Century, the Palace Theatre gained a reputation as the place to come to see 70mm news reels and films. Later in the century the Palace Theatre entering into its long-running association with musicals. 'No, No, Nanette' opened in 1925 and ran for 665 performances before 'Jesus Christ Superstar' and then 'Les Miserables' enjoyed extraordinary runs here.
Andrew Lloyd Webber bought the Palace Theatre in 1983 and uncovered beautiful original features during an extensive refurbishment. It is now home to the musical comedy Monty Python's Spamalot.
OPENED: 31st January 1891
LISTED: Grade II*
SEATS: 1,394 on 4 levels
ARCHITECT: T E Collcutt
How to get there
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The nearest Tube Station is Leicester Square
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All shows at this venue
