The Other Place, 12 Palace Street, London SW1
Formerly - The Charlotte Chapel / St. James' Picture Theatre / The Westminster Theatre / The St. James Theatre
Above - The St. James Theatre in August 2016, Photo M.L.
The
Other Place was the first newly built Theatre complex to be constructed
in central London for 30 years and was designed by the architects Foster
Wilson with interiors design by Lambart & Browne.
Right - The studio space at the St. James Theatre during construction in the spring of 2012 - Photo Rob Cable - Courtesy Lucy French, Director of Development for the Theatre.
The Theatre, which was built on the site of the former Westminster Theatre, opened as the St. James Theatre on the 18th of September 2012, and consisted of a 312 capacity main auditorium, a studio space which held 150 standing or 100 seated, and a brasserie and bar which were open all day. The venture was entirely funded by private investment.
Above - The St. James Theatre nearing completion in the spring of 2012 - Photo Rob Cable - Courtesy Lucy French, Director of Development for the Theatre.
Above - The main auditorium of the St. James Theatre during construction in the spring of 2012 - Photo Rob Cable - Courtesy Lucy French, Director of Development for the Theatre.
The Theatre's Artistic Director at its opening was David Gilmore, assisted by James Albrecht, who planed to produce a varied programme of musicals, comedies, and classic revivals, as well as offering a London venue to touring and regional productions. The studio space was planned to present one-night and short-run comedy and live music, including jazz and cabaret.
In 2016 the Theatre was rechristened 'The Other Place' by its new owner Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Theatres Group. In an article published in the London Evening Standard Webber said that the idea came from his experience developing 'School of Rock' at a small New York venue before it moved to Broadway. 'My idea for the theatre' he said, 'is it is literally a place for people to try out and experiment, and we may have shows that are at the very start of their development and others that are 80 per cent there.' Tickets for the first shows at the rebranded St. James Theatre went on sale in October 2016 for its February 2017 reopening as the Other Palace.
You may like to visit the Other Place's own website here.
Some Photographs of the completed St. James Theatre shortly after its opening
Above - The main auditorium of the St. James Theatre - Photo Tom Cronin, Courtesy The St. James Theatre.
Above - The Studio Space at the St. James Theatre - Photo Tom Cronin, Courtesy The St. James Theatre.
Above - The Foyer and Marble Staircase at the St. James Theatre - Photo Tom Cronin, Courtesy The St. James Theatre.
Above - The St. James Theatre Bar - Photo Tom Cronin, Courtesy The St. James Theatre.
Above - The St. James Theatre Restaurant - Photo Tom Cronin, Courtesy The St. James Theatre.
The St. James Theatre, now The Other Place, was constructed on the site of the former Westminster Theatre which was destroyed by fire on the 27th June 2002, during demolition work which had begun in February 2002. A complete history for the Westminster Theatre can be found here.