Palace Theatre
One of Plymouth's finest surviving Victorian buildings, located in an area targeted for regeneration, which could make a viable music or community venue.
- Address
- 121 - 123 Union Street, Stonehouse, Plymouth, Devon, PL1 3NB
- Risk Rating
- 8 (Community Value: 2, Star Rating: 3, Risk Factor: 3)
- Local Authority
- Plymouth City Council
- Owner
- Manochehr Bahmanzadeh
- Architect
- Wimperis & Arber
- Date of Construction
- 1898
- Listing
- Grade II*
- Capacity
- Estimated at 1,200
Significance
The Palace Theatre is a Victorian building of outstanding architectural quality. It was built for the Livermore Brothers to a design by Wimperis & Arber. Originally called the New Palace Theatre of Varieties, it played host to a multitude of acts. Externally, it is decorated with Art Nouveau tiles depicting scenes of the Spanish Armada and the nautical theme continues inside with plasterwork featuring ship lanterns, shields, swords, flags, and wreaths.
Why is this theatre at risk?
Plymouth Palace has been on the Theatres at Risk Register since 2006 when we started the Register.
The theatre, together with the adjoining Great Western Hotel, also appears on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register where it is listed as ‘in very bad condition and under immediate risk of further rapid deterioration or loss of fabric’.
The Grade II* listed Plymouth Palace has been empty since 2006. Significant investment and repair work are required to secure the building fabric. Work was undertaken in 2013 and 2015 to make the theatre weathertight; however, more recent photographs of the interior indicate ongoing deterioration.
A series of break-ins to the building in 2018 resulted in Plymouth City Council serving a Section 215 notice on owner Manochehr Bahmanzadeh, the local businessman who ran the theatre as a nightclub prior to its closure in 2006. Works were carried out but the theatre still lies vacant. Its ever-worsening state of decay, and increasingly vulnerability, appears to have resulted in the partial collapse of part of the stage house roof, heightening concern about the extremely poor condition of this once magnificent theatre.
Theatre potential
The Palace is not in a central location, but it is in an area targeted for regeneration. The city is well served with theatres, but the Palace could be viable as a music, community, and live performance venue, with the adjoining hotel that interconnects with the theatre used for a cross-subsidising activity.
There is also evidence of community support in saving and restoring the building with interest from community groups and private investors keen to restore the Palace for live performance.
Theatres Trust provided advice to interested parties about the necessary processes involved in restoring and reopening a historic building, but sadly no one has been able to take on the ownership or long-term leasing of the building, which is the major hurdle in seeing this remarkable theatre restored and reopened.
Luke Pollard, MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, launched a Buildings at Risk List, highlighting the top 10 buildings in Plymouth that he wants to see restored, and the Palace Theatre remains top of his 2026 list.
Past discussions between Theatres Trust, Historic England, and Plymouth Council have indicated that all parties have a similar desire for the theatre and hotel to be restored and reopened, and for viable and sustainable reuse of the buildings.
Current situation
Further concerns about the building were raised in May 2026 when Theatres Trust was alerted by a member of the public to the apparent partial collapse of part of the stage house roof. We notified the local authority and have also been in contact with the owner and Historic England.
Investigations are ongoing, and although it is thought that the damage is minimal, it does serve as a reminder of the extreme vulnerability of this Grade II* listed building.
aims to transform Union Street by unlocking land occupied by derelict and empty buildings to support and benefit the local community. A change in ownership could be the first step in bringing the building back into use, but a substantial amount of work will be required to safeguard the building and create a viable use.
The government has recently confirmed Plymouth as a priority city for financial support for housing and regeneration, to maximise its potential as a centre for excellence in naval technology. This new focus could provide an opportunity for the Palace to be restored as an important part of the live entertainment scene, to contribute to a growing and thriving city.
Theatres Trust will continue to liaise with Historic England, the council, and interested parties to find a sustainable and viable outcome for Plymouth Palace to see this important theatre building restored and reopened for the benefit of its local community.
Images Plymouth Palace, Theatres Trust, 2013