Corinthian Bazaar National Skating Palace The Palladium | |
 London Palladium in 2014 | |
 Interactive map of London Palladium | |
| Address | Argyll Street London,W1 United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 51°30′53″N0°08′26″W / 51.5146°N 0.1405°W /51.5146; -0.1405 |
| Public transit |  Oxford Circus |
| Owner | LW Theatres |
| Type | West End theatre |
| Capacity | 2,286[1] |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 26 December 1910; 114 years ago (1910-12-26) 17 May 2021; 4 years ago (2021-05-17) |
| Years active | 1926 – present |
Listed Building – Grade II* | |
| Official name | The London Palladium Theatre |
| Designated | 28 June 1972 |
| Reference no. | 1210130 |
| Architect | Frank Matcham |
| Website | |
| (Official Website) | |
TheLondon Palladium (/pəˈleɪdiəm/pə-LAY-dee-əm) is aGrade II*West End theatre located onArgyll Street,London, inSoho. The theatre was designed byFrank Matcham and opened in 1910. The auditorium holds 2,286 people. Hundreds of stars have played there, many with televised performances. Between 1955 and 1969Sunday Night at the London Palladium was staged at the venue, produced for theITV network. The show included a performance bythe Beatles on 13 October 1963; one newspaper's headlines in the following days coined the term "Beatlemania" to describe the hysterical interest in the band.[2]
While the theatre hosts resident shows, it is also able to host one-off performances, such as concerts, TV specials andChristmas pantomimes. It has hosted theRoyal Variety Performance 43 times, most recently in 2019.
Walter Gibbons, an early moving-pictures manager, intended for the Palladium, in 1910, to compete withSir Edward Moss'sLondon Hippodrome andSir Oswald Stoll'sLondon Coliseum. The facade (on the site ofArgyll House, demolished in the 1860s,[3] from which the pub opposite took the nameTheArgyll Arms), dates back to the 19th century. Formerly it was a temporary wooden building calledCorinthian Bazaar, which featured an aviary and aimed to attract customers from the recently closed Pantheon Bazaar (now the site ofMarks & Spencers) inOxford Street. The theatre was rebuilt a year later byFredrick Hengler, the son of a tightrope walker, as a circus arena for entertainments that includedpromenade concerts, pantomimes and an aquatic display in a flooded ring. It then became theNational Skating Palace – a skating rink with real ice. However, the rink failed and the Palladium was redesigned byFrank Matcham, a famous theatricalarchitect who also designed the Coliseum, on the site that had previously housedHengler's Circus.
The theatre retains many of its original features and wasGrade II* listed in September 1960.[4] The building now carries Heritage Foundation commemorative plaques honouringLew Grade andFrankie Vaughan.
The Palladium had its owntelephone system so the occupants of boxes could call one another. It also had a revolving stage.
The theatre started out asThe Palladium, a premier venue for variety performances. Pantomimes were also featured there. In 1926, the pantomime starred Lennie Dean as Cinderella, of which footage has survived. The theatre is especially linked to the Royal Variety Performances, where many were, and still are, held. In 1928, for three months the Palladium also ran as a cinema. Following this 'cine-variety' episode the theatre fell dark for a short period in the autumn of 1928.
From 3 September 1928, the Palladium reopened under the directorship of the impresario/producerGeorge Black as part of the General Theatre Corporation (GTC). When Black took control the theatre was close to bankruptcy. He revived its fortunes by returning to the original ethos of the Palladium by staging large variety shows, with a capital 'V' – and as well as headlining Britain's homegrown acts he brought over big American stars such asDuke Ellington and his Orchestra (on 12 June 1933, his first ever concert hall performance),[5]Adelaide Hall,Louis Armstrong andEthel Waters for two-week engagements.[6] Before too long, under Black's management the Palladium was soon gaining praise again as 'The World's Leading Variety Theatre'. In 1935, Black initiatedthe Crazy Gang revues at the Palladium (for which he is chiefly remembered) withLife Begins at Oxford Circus.[7] The revues continued at the Palladium as an annual event until they transferred to theVictoria Palace theatre in 1940. Black managed the Palladium until his death in 1945.
The climax of the 1935Alfred Hitchcock spy thrillerThe 39 Steps was filmed at the Palladium.
The theatre was hit by an unexploded Germanparachute mine on 11 May 1941. The device had fallen through the roof, becoming lodged over the stage. ARoyal Navy bomb disposal team was sent to deal with it. After the mine was located, the fuse locking ring had to be turned to allow access to thefuse itself. Rather disconcertingly, the fuse began ticking as soon as it was touched. This caused a rapid evacuation of the immediate area, but the mine did not detonate. The two team members cautiously returned, extracted the fuse and removed other hazardous components, rendering the mine 'safe'. It was then lowered to the stage and disposed of.[8] TheGeorge Medal for gallantry and undaunted devotion to duty was given to Sub Lieutenant Graham Maurice Wright for his action in the Palladium on that night. He was later killed, on 19 August 1941, while en route for Gibraltar on board the torpedoed troopshipSS Aguila.
Val Parnell took over as managing director after George Black's death in 1945. He adopted a controversial, but very successful, policy of presenting high-priced, big-name American acts at the top of the bill. Among many, the list includedCarmen Miranda,Judy Garland,Sophie Tucker,Bing Crosby,Danny Kaye,Rosemary Clooney,Channing Pollock, theAndrews Sisters withVic Schoen and his orchestra,Bob Hope,Liza Minnelli,Lena Horne,Ella Fitzgerald,Peggy Lee,Frank Sinatra,Sammy Davis Jr.,Frankie Laine andJohnnie Ray, freezing out many British stars of the day, who were relegated to second-billing.
From 1955 to 1967, the theatre was the setting for the top-rated ITV Network variety showSunday Night at the London Palladium hosted first byTommy Trinder, followed byBruce Forsyth,Norman Vaughan, andJimmy Tarbuck. The programme was broadcast live every week byATV, which was owned by the famous theatrical impresario Lew Grade. Production was by Val Parnell. Six programmes aired as special episodes in the United States between May and August 1966 onNBC.[9] British stars on the show includedCliff Richard andthe Shadows,Petula Clark,the Beatles andthe Rolling Stones. The Beatles' publicist,Tony Barrow, said that after the band's first appearance on the show on 13 October 1963, Beatlemania took off in the UK. Their performance was watched by 15 million viewers. One national paper's headlines in the following days coined the term "Beatlemania" to describe the phenomenal and increasingly hysterical interest in the Beatles – and it stuck.[2]
Parnell became associated with a property development company and began to sell Moss Empires' theatres for redevelopment. When it became known in 1966 that this fate awaited the London Palladium, TheVictoria Palace and even theTheatre Royal, Drury Lane,Prince Littler organised a take-over to save the theatres and Val Parnell retired to live in France. The new managing director of Stoll-Moss wasLouis Benjamin, who took on the role while continuing as MD of Pye Records within the ATV Group.
By 1965, theWine Society was operating out of a cellar under the Palladium. Additionally, it was also using one at Joiner Street underLondon Bridge Station and one at St James's Bond inRotherhithe (which flooded at high tide).[10] In 1968, Sammy Davis Jr. starred inGolden Boy, the firstbook musical to be produced in the venue.[11] AJohnny Cash album was recorded there in 1968, but Columbia Records never released it. Bootlegs of the performance are in circulation.Jose Feliciano also recorded a hit USA gold status double LP for RCA records called "Alive Alive O!" in April 1969
On 6 December 1970Dorothy Squires gave a concert at the Palladium, recorded for an LP release the following year.[12]
In January 1973, glam rock bandSlade played a gig in the theatre which resulted in the venue's balcony nearly collapsing.
In July 1974, singerCass Elliott performed for two weeks. 48 hours after her final performance she died in her sleep in her rented flat in Mayfair.[citation needed] Also in 1974,Josephine Baker performed in the Royal Variety Performance. The 1991 filmThe Josephine Baker Story implied that, like Cass Elliott, she died after a show there, but this is not true. She actually died in Paris four days after a show there.[citation needed]
Bing Crosby performed for two weeks at the Palladium starting on 21 June 1976. The resulting live albumBing Crosby Live at the London Palladium reached No. 9 in the UK album charts in November 1977.[13]
In October 1976,Marvin Gaye recorded a live concert at the venue. The performance documented on the resulting double LP, entitledLive at the London Palladium and released in 1977.[14]
In 1979,Kate Bush performed at the Palladium with her first concert tour theTour of Life.
In 1981, the cellars of the Palladium housed a waxworks museum, aptly called "The Palladium Cellars", headlined by aYul Bryner live projection automaton, as the cowboy Gunslinger fromWestworld.
In the late 1980s, the Palladium was once again the setting for the popular ITV variety show,Live From the Palladium, compered byJimmy Tarbuck. During this time, the theatre was under the ownership of the Stoll Moss Theatres Group, and the management of Margaret and David Locke, who were both major shareholders of Stoll Moss at the time.
In 1988, the Edinburgh Gang Show appeared as part of the British Musical Hall Society's Silver Jubilee.
In 1991, a new production of theTim Rice andAndrew Lloyd Webber musicalJoseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat opened starringJason Donovan in the title role withLinzi Hateley as the Narrator.Phillip Schofield later replaced Donovan in the title role.
In 1994,Cameron Mackintosh produced a new revival ofLionel Bart's musicalOliver!, directed bySam Mendes. It starredJonathan Pryce as Fagin andSally Dexter as Nancy.
In 1998,Arlene Phillips directed and choreographed a stage musical adaptation ofSaturday Night Fever starringAdam Garcia andBen Richards.
In 2000, ownership of the theatre changed once again when Stoll Moss was acquired byAndrew Lloyd Webber'sReally Useful Group. From 3 May 2000 to 5 January 2002, the Palladium playedThe King and I starringElaine Paige andJason Scott Lee. This production was a West End transfer of the successful 1996 Broadway production. Before the opening, the box office had already taken in excess of £7 million in ticket sales. This version of the show was a lavish affair, with new dialogue and music added, while the original material was updated. During the run,Josie Lawrence played the role of Anna andPaul Nakauchi andKeo Woolford played the role of the King, respectively. After the production closed, the famous (but outdated) revolving stage was removed to make way for more modern technology.[citation needed]
From April 2002 to 4 September 2005, the Palladium hosted a theatrical version ofChitty Chitty Bang Bang with songscore by theSherman Brothers as a successor toThe King & I, directed byAdrian Noble and choreographed byGillian Lynne. The original cast includedMichael Ball,Emma Williams,Anton Rodgers,Nichola McAuliffe,Brian Blessed andRichard O'Brien. Throughout its three-and-a-half-year run at the venue, the production starred many celebrities. This show proved to be the most successful in the theatre's long history and reunited, 50 years later, the show's choreographerGillian Lynne, with the theatre in which she had appeared as the Palladium's Star Dancer during the early 1950s.
On 1 November 2004 and 22 November singer-songwriterJackson Browne performed two concerts during his solo acoustic tour. For Christmas 2005–06, the venue stagedBill Kenwright's production ofScrooge – The Musical which closed on 14 January 2006. The show starredTommy Steele, making a return to the Palladium. From February 2006, the theatre played host to a new musical production entitledSinatra At The London Palladium, which featured a live band, large screen projections and dancers performing Frank Sinatra's greatest hits.
Lloyd Webber and David Ian's production ofThe Sound of Music opened at the Palladium in November 2006. The production ran for just over two years, before closing on 21 February 2009. It starredConnie Fisher andSummer Strallen as Maria,Simon Shepherd,Alexander Hanson andSimon MacCorkindale as Captain Von Trapp andLesley Garrett andMargaret Preece as the Mother Abbess. A production ofSister Act the Musical opened on 2 June 2009, starringPatina Miller as Deloris,Sheila Hancock as Mother Superior,Ian Lavender as Monsignor Howard,Chris Jarman as Shank,Ako Mitchell as Eddie,Katie Rowley Jones as Sister Mary Robert, Claire Greenway as Sister Mary Patrick andJulia Sutton as Sister Mary Lazarus.
Rufus Wainwright held two sold out Judy Garland tribute concerts at the theatre on 18 and 25 February 2007. On 20 May 2007 the London Palladium hosted the 2007BAFTA awards, which were broadcast onBBC television, and in 2010 theBAFTA Television Awards returned to the Palladium.[15] While the Theatre has a resident show, it is still able to have one-off performances; this is enabled by thescenery of the resident show being designed to be easily removed. For example, the set ofSister Act was able to be hoisted completely above the stage out of view in an area called theFly Loft.
The London Palladium turned 100 years old on Boxing Day 2010, and a one-hour television special entitled '100 Years of the Palladium' aired onBBC Two on 31 December 2010.Sir Elton John performed at the venue in September 2013 in a special show where he was presented with theBrit Awards Icon, subsequently broadcast onITV1.[16]Robbie Williams promoted his new albumSwings Both Ways, the UK's 1000th No. 1 album, with a one-night performance on 8 November 2013 that was filmed for television broadcast (BBC One). He was joined by members of the cast ofThe Muppet Show (Kermit the Frog,Miss Piggy,Fozzie Bear,Gonzo,Statler and Waldorf),Lily Allen,Rufus Wainwright, his father, a children's choir and a 30-piece orchestra. Invited guests includedAdele andOne Direction.
From 2011 to 2012, the Palladium became home toAndrew Lloyd Webber's new production ofThe Wizard of Oz which featured new songs by Lloyd Webber andTim Rice and starredMichael Crawford,Danielle Hope,Hannah Waddingham,Russell Grant,Sophie Evans andDes O'Connor. This was followed by a return season ofScrooge: The Musical starringTommy Steele. In 2013 it became home to a revival ofA Chorus Line starringJohn Partridge,Scarlett Strallen andLeigh Zimmerman.
Since 2013, excluding 2014, 2015 and 2016,Britain's Got Talent have held Judges' auditions at the Palladium as one part of their audition tour which usually lasts from mid-January to late-February.[citation needed]
In 2014, Really Useful Group split in two, and the entity owning the theatre became the Really Useful Theatres Group.[17] A revival ofAndrew Lloyd Webber'sCats played for a season in late 2014 starringNicole Scherzinger as Grizabella (laterKerry Ellis). It returned for another season in late 2015 starringBeverley Knight.
In December 2016, the annual Christmas pantomime returned for the first time in 29 years withCinderella, produced and directed by Michael Harrison for Crossroads Pantomimes (previouslyQdos Entertainment). The pantomimes have returned every year with performers includingJulian Clary,Nigel Havers,Gary Wilmot,Paul Zerdin,Paul O'Grady,Dawn French,Ashley Banjo andDiversity,Elaine Paige,Charlie Stemp,Amanda Holden,Lee Mead,Matt Baker,Beverley Knight,Donny Osmond,The Tiller Girls,Alexandra Burke,Rob Madge,Natalie McQueen,Jennifer Saunders andFrances Mayli McCann. The 2017 pantomimeDick Whittington won theLaurence Olivier Award for Best Family Show.[citation needed] In March 2025, it was announced through the venue's social media that, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the return of the Palladium Pantomime, the 2025/26 production would beSleeping Beauty, starring Palladium panto veterans Clary, Havers and Zerdin, and introducing actress and comedienneCatherine Tate, comic impressionistJon Culshaw, and West End stars Emily Lane (Hello Dolly!) and Amonik Melaco; the show will run for five weeks from 6 December 2025 until 11 January 2026, with tickets on-sale from 26 March (for priority booking) and 28 March 2025 (for general booking).
In 2017,The Wind in the Willows with songs byGeorge Stiles andAnthony Drewe ran for a summer season starringRufus Hound,Simon Lipkin,Neil McDermott,Gary Wilmot andDenise Welch.[citation needed]
In 2018, on the first anniversary of his death,Sir Bruce Forsyth's ashes were laid to rest under the Palladium's stage, with a blue plaque commemorating him on a nearby wall, featuring the description "Without question the UK's greatest entertainer, he rests in peace within the sound of music, laughter and dancing… exactly where he would want to be."[18][19] For the 2018 summer seasonBartlett Sher'sTony Award-winning revival ofThe King and I ran direct fromBroadway starringKelli O'Hara andKen Watanabe reprising their roles as Anna and the King.
In summer 2019, the Palladium staged the 50th Anniversary production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's and Tim Rice’Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. The production starredSheridan Smith as the Narrator,Jason Donovan as the Pharaoh (having previously played the title role in the 1991 Palladium revival) and Jac Yarrow in the title role.[20]
The Dreamcoat production was due to return in summer 2020; however, due to theCOVID-19 pandemic it was postponed to summer 2021. Donovan and Yarrow reprised their roles withAlexandra Burke as the Narrator withLinzi Hateley playing the Narrator at certain performances (reprising her role from the 1991 Palladium revival).
In 2022,Disney'sBeauty and the Beast ran for a limited summer season following its UK and Ireland tour starringCourtney Stapleton,Martin Ball,Gavin Lee, andSam Bailey.[21]
In summer 2023, a new production ofThe Wizard of Oz was revived at the Palladium for a limited season starringGary Wilmot as the Wizard,Ashley Banjo as the Tin Man,Jason Manford as the Cowardly Lion,Dianne Pilkington as the Wicked Witch of the West,Christina Bianco as Glinda, andGeorgina Onuorah as Dorothy.[22]
In summer 2024, a revival ofHello, Dolly! directed byDominic Cooke, starringImelda Staunton,Jenna Russell,Andy Nyman, andTyrone Huntley ran for a limited season.[23] As well as this, in July 2024 a concert byStarKid Productions:It's StarKid, Innit will be performed. Tickets for the concert sold out rapidly causing the concert to be the fastest-selling musical concert in the history of the venue.[24]
Jamie Lloyd's 2019 production ofTim Rice andAndrew Lloyd Webber'sEvita transferred to the Palladium for a limited season in the summer of 2025.[25]Rachel Zegler playedEva Perón in the revival, which played from 14 June–6 September, 2025 with an official opening on 1 July.[26][27] This production was notable for having the number"Don't Cry for Me Argentina" performed on the exterior balcony of the Palladium onArgyll Street and was broadcast to the theatre audience using cameras outside and a large screen inside the theatre; the large crowds on the street watching this balcony scene can be contextualized as part of Eva Peron's "spectacle and political theatre".
TheRegent's Park Open Air Theatre production ofTim Rice andAndrew Lloyd Webber'sJesus Christ Superstar will run at the Palladium from 20 June until 5 September 2026, starringSam Ryder as Jesus.[28]
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Ramin Karimloo: Live at the Palladium, 7/16/2016.
Jeff Goldblum & The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra (April '25)
2025:Rachel Zegler
| Year | Production | Performance run | Main Cast | Supporting Cast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016/17 | Cinderella | 9 December 2016 - 15 January 2017 | Julian Clary,Paul Zerdin andNigel Havers | Paul O'Grady,Amanda Holden,Lee Mead,Count Arthur Strong and Natasha Barnes |
| 2017/18 | Dick Whittington | 9 December 2017 - 14 January 2018 | Elaine Paige, Gary Wilmot,Ashley Banjo& Diversity,Charlie Stemp andEmma Williams | |
| 2018/19 | Snow White | 8 December 2018 - 13 January 2019 | Dawn French, Wilmot, Stemp,Danielle Hope,Vincent Simone andFlavia Cacace | |
| 2019/20 | Goldilocks and the Three Bears | 7 December 2019 - 12 January 2020 | O'Grady, Wilmot,Matt Baker,Janine Duvitski,Sophie Isaacs and Lauren Stroud | |
| 2020 | Pantoland at the Palladium | 12–15 December 2020(closed early due toCOVID-19 pandemic) | Paige,Beverley Knight, Wilmot, Banjo & Diversity, Stemp andJac Yarrow | |
| 2021/22 | 4 December 2021 - 9 January 2022 | Donny Osmond, Wilmot, Isaacs, Yarrow andThe Tiller Girls | ||
| 2022/23 | Jack and the Beanstalk | 10 December 2022 - 15 January 2023 | French,Alexandra Burke, Wilmot,Rob Madge,Natalie McQueen and Louis Gaunt | |
| 2023/24 | Peter Pan | 9 December 2023 - 14 January 2024 | Jennifer Saunders, Wilmot, Madge,Frances Mayli McCann and Gaunt | |
| 2024/25 | Robin Hood | 7 December 2024 - 12 January 2025 | Jane McDonald, Madge,Marisha Wallace, Tosh Wanogho-Maud and Stemp | |
| 2025/26 | Sleeping Beauty | 6 December 2025 - 11 January 2026 | Catherine Tate, Madge, Emily Lane,Jon Culshaw and Amonik Melaco |
| Preceded by | Miss World Venue 1990 | Succeeded by |
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