London Theatre - Victoria Place

There was a theatre on this site since 1832, at first known as Moy’s Music Hall, well before the coming of the railways. This was then renamed in 1863 and became The Royal Standard Music Hall. In 1886, when Victoria Street and Victoria Station were constructed, the theatre was destroyed and the rebuilt Royal Standard Music Hall became "the most comfortable Hall of entertainment in London... no expense has been spared."

The entrance of electricity and other early 20th century theatrical technology meant that severe changes were needed. The oldest licensed music hall in London was finished. Again in 1910, no cost was spared and Frank Matcham's Victoria Palace cost the massive sum of £12,000 to build.


The theatre retains much of its original character, even more so since the auditorium, front of house and dressing rooms have recently been refurbished.

The grey marble foyer with its gold mosaic and white Sicilian marble pillars is much as it was in 1911. Outside, the facade, canopy and cupola have recently been restored to their former glory.

The auditorium holds 1550 seats and is fully air-conditioned. It features a magnificent sliding roof, a simple precursor of air-conditioning. Originally the Stalls, Dress Circle and Grand Circle each had their own entrance and their own box office selling pre-printed tickets from a paper plan.


The Victoria Palace changed into the new millennium with an courageous building programme; enlarging the Foyer, WC facilities and rising the dressing room space, whilst maintaining all the feel and character of a historic building.

In 2006, a replica of the original statue of Pavlova was reinstated to its original place above the cupola of the Victoria Palace and her gold-leafed figure once again gleams above us.