The theatre
The Palace Theatre stands at Cambridge Circus, where Shaftesbury Avenue meets Charing Cross Road, and its red-brick and terracotta frontage is one of the most recognisable in the West End. Inside, 1,400 seats are spread over four levels with stalls, dress circle, grand circle and balcony. It is one of the larger West End theatres and has hosted the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child show for almost 10 years. The performances have been in two parts so far, but that will change on the 9th of October when the new, 1-part show performances start.
History
Richard D'Oyly Carte, the producer behind the Gilbert and Sullivan operas, commissioned the building as a home for English grand opera. Designed by Thomas Edward Collcutt, it opened in January 1891 as the Royal English Opera House with Arthur Sullivan's Ivanhoe. Carte had nothing else ready to follow it and sold up within the year. The new owners turned it into a music hall, the Palace Theatre of Varieties, and it took its present name in 1911.
Good to know
The theatre is a two-minute walk from Leicester Square station and sits directly opposite Cambridge Circus, so it's easy to find. Book well ahead for popular runs. The upper balcony is steep, and seats there are cheaper for a reason.
