The Other Palace

The Other Palace stands in Westminster, a theatre built in 2012 on the site of the former Westminster Theatre. It has a main auditorium with 312 seats and a smaller studio theatre with 120 seats. The building replaced a theatre damaged by fire in 2002 and demolished soon after. Foster Wilson Architects designed the new complex, the first purpose-built theatre in central London for three decades. It opened with Sandi Toksvig’s Bully Boy in September 2012. In 2016 the Really Useful Theatres Group took ownership and renamed the venue in 2017. The theatre is known for developing new musicals and hosting notable transfers. Paul Taylor Mills became artistic director in 2016, focusing on new work. Chris Harper joined as Director of Programming in 2018. Productions such as Heathers The Musical ran from 2018 to 2023 before moving to the West End. Other premieres included Big Fish with Kelsey Grammer and Falsettos with Daniel Boys. The theatre also staged UK transfers like La Strada and Amélie. Visitors find two contrasting spaces: a 312-seat main theatre and a 120-seat studio. The main house presents large-scale productions while the studio hosts smaller, experimental shows. The building occupies a central London site with good transport links. Inside, the foyers and bars provide places to gather before performances. The programme balances new writing with transfers from tours. The theatre’s reputation rests on its role as a creative laboratory for musical theatre.