The Other Palace

Standing at an interesting kink in Palace Street, a quiet side street off hectic Victoria, this theatre has an extraordinary evolutionary history. The current building (2012) contains the first newly built theatre in central London for thirty years. But the site on which it stands has a long history.

The Charlotte Chapel was built in 1766. It fell into disuse in 1921 and was re-fronted and altered to open in 1924 as a St James's Picture Theatre cinema. Major alterations were made in 1931 before reopening as the Westminster Theatre - the chapel's crypt became dressing rooms, green room, and the stalls bar.

From 1960 the theatre was controlled by the MRA (Moral ReArmament movement). In 1966 it reopened as an arts centre. The remodelling work for this incorporated much of the adjoining site, increasing the size of the building to provide new foyer space, dressing rooms, and restaurant. The exterior was again re-fronted, this time clad in Welsh slate, somewhat resembling a rock face. Further alterations took place in 1972 and the theatre continued until it fell dark in 1990, after which the owners sought a purchaser. Its future seemed uncertain from that time.

In 1999, the building was sold and the new owners Yolanda sought permission to demolish the theatre and use the site for commercial and residential development. Their planning application included a replacement theatre.

The theatre later burnt down and was subsequently demolished in 2002. The theatre had a complex of rooms surrounding it in its final form, including a second 105 seat flat-floored studio and separate (let-able) office or studio space.

Talawa - a small but well-established Black Theatre Company - had received a grant to begin a search for a new London home and drew up plans for the site. Its architects were Abe Odedina and Alex Alladyce who had worked with Yvonne Brewster OBE earlier to adapt the Cochrane Theatre for Talawa’s residency. What Talawa envisaged was a flexible 200 seat auditorium (end-stage and flat floor formats), with backstage and production facilities, rehearsal and office space, and a café/bar/restaurant.

As well as height restrictions and access problems, the culverted River Tyburn (part of London’s sewage system) ran across one end, just below ground level. To come up with a solution that would give the required capacity meant digging deeper - with the result that costs rose significantly. Talawa withdrew from the project but the space developed by its team was incorporated into the new development in shell form.

For the next six years or so, the developers repeatedly submitted applications either for space to be clawed back or for alternative uses to be permitted. The developer continued to look for a group to fit out the building.

The space was discovered by theatre director Robert Mackintosh and the shell space was adapted to house a different style of operation to that previously envisaged. In May 2009, plans for a 314-seat theatre and a smaller cabaret stage, and a restaurant were approved by Westminster City Council.

The new St James Theatre opened in September 2012. Westminster City Council required redevelopment of the site to incorporate a new performance space.

The final theatre fit-out was designed by Foster Wilson Architects and comprises the ground and basement floor levels of a mixed-use building. The six levels above the theatre contain residential apartments and associated car parking. The entrance to the theatre is a prominent landmark when looking down the street. The upper floors are clad in grey stone and the theatre’s ground-level foyer and bar have full-height glass windows opening onto the street.

The open foyer area is paved with limestone and includes a bar area facing the street with a capacity of 100 guests. A curved marble staircase leads to a 62 cover restaurant and kitchen located on the mezzanine level above the bar.

Access between the lobby and the main auditorium is restricted to one door. The auditorium has 312 seats set in a steep single rake that wraps around the stage. The audience enters at the top of the rake and then descend towards the stage to their seats. The front two rows of seats can be removed to create a larger flat-floored stage area, with the first row of seats being at stage level. With the seats in place, a smaller apron stage can be created. Two large hinged panels on either side of the stage can be folded out to create a proscenium or folded back to create an open stage. The room is panelled in dark veneer.

A second smaller music and cabaret theatre is located adjacent to the main theatre, under the bar. This space has a flat floor, a moveable stage, a bar, and a mezzanine seating gallery and seats up to 100 people.

Back of house facilities include three dressing rooms, a green room, a laundry, control room, crossover corridors, and storage space. Multimedia broadcast facilities have also been installed to allow the broadcast of performances on TV.

In 2017 the theatre reopened as The Other Palace, a home for new musicals.