Flamboyant theatre, one of Plymouth’s finest buildings, continues to decay
Grade II*-listed, 1898, John Thomas Wimperis and William Henry Arber
The ‘New Palace Theatre of Varieties’, or the Palace Theatre as it was later known, is one of the most remarkable entertainment buildings of its time, with display and show both inside and out. The principal façade features Flemish gables, Tuscan columns, and artwork depicting historic naval scenes, including Plymouth’s invasion by the Spanish Armada; while internally, fixtures include a grand Sicilian marble balustraded staircase, a saloon in the Cinquecento style, and plaster friezes with dolphins, nereids, and cherubs. The construction of Plymouth’s more central Theatre Royal in the 1970s led to its closure as an arts venue, and the building’s more recent history as a nightclub ended in 2006 after a drugs raid. Since then, it has been left vacant and allowed to deteriorate, with no viable plan in place for its future. The current state of Union Street lets Plymouth down, and the restoration and reopening of the Palace Theatre is a necessary precondition for its regeneration and revival.
Status Update / March 2026
Recent conversations between the Victorian Society, the Theatres Trust, and the local authority suggest that there is sentiment to restore and reopen the building; and there have been significant positive developments in the surrounding area which suggest that the business case for adaptive reuse is stronger than it was before. That being said, the owner remains resistant to cooperation with third parties, and the building is continuing to deteriorate. A change in ownership would represent an important first step in securing the building’s future, but precisely how that will be achieved remains unclear.