How to Get to the Palace Theatre

113 Shaftesbury Avenue, London W1D 5AY. Look for the tall red-brick frontage filling the island in the middle of Cambridge Circus, at the crossing of Shaftesbury Avenue and Charing Cross Road. It's right in the thick of the West End and hard to miss, and the main entrance faces the Circus.

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By tube

The closest station is Leicester Square (Northern and Piccadilly lines), about 3 to 4 minutes' walk up Charing Cross Road. If you're coming in on the Elizabeth line, use Tottenham Court Road instead, 5 to 7 minutes away; it's on the Central and Northern lines too. Piccadilly Circus (Bakerloo and Piccadilly lines) is 7 to 9 minutes along Shaftesbury Avenue.

By train

Charing Cross is the nearest mainline station, around 10 to 12 minutes on foot.

By bus

Buses stop at Cambridge Circus itself, less than a minute from the door. Which bus to take depends on where you're coming from:

• From North London: the 24 (Hampstead and Camden Town), the 29 (Wood Green, Finsbury Park and Camden Town) and the 19 (Finsbury Park, Highbury and Angel)
• From West London: the 14 (Putney, Fulham and South Kensington)
• From South London: the 176 (Penge, Dulwich, Elephant & Castle and Waterloo) and the 24 (Pimlico and Victoria)

The 8 (Bow, Liverpool Street and Holborn) and the 188 (Greenwich, Surrey Quays and Waterloo) finish by Tottenham Court Road station, about five minutes' walk down Charing Cross Road.

Late at night, the N5 to Edgware, the N20 to Barnet, the N29 to Enfield and the N19 to Clapham Junction all stop at Cambridge Circus, among others.

By taxi

Black cabs are easy to find around Cambridge Circus, Leicester Square and Charing Cross Road. The Circus itself is busy before a show, so drivers will often set you down on a quieter side street nearby.

By car

There's no parking at the theatre, but three car parks are within walking distance:

• Q-Park Chinatown, Newport Place, about three minutes, with EV charging
• Urban Parking, 42 Shelton Street, about five minutes towards Seven Dials, open 24 hours
• NCP Brewer Street, in Soho, about eight minutes. Open 24 hours, but only 20 spaces, so book ahead

All of them get busy on show nights, so book a space in advance if you can.

The theatre is inside the Congestion Charge zone, which runs from 7am to 6pm on weekdays and from midday to 6pm at weekends. Arrive after 6pm for an evening performance and you won't pay it; for a matinee you will, currently £18 a day. The ULEZ applies around the clock if your car doesn't meet its standards.

For a drop-off or a taxi, Cambridge Circus is the easiest point, right outside the main entrance. If you need the step-free door, ask to be set down on Shaftesbury Avenue instead. Blue Badge holders can find the nearest bays on Westminster's Parking for Blue Badges map.

What time to arrive

Arrive 15 to 20 minutes before, no later. There's a bag search at the door, and the theatre fills with families and fans all arriving at once. The theatre and the bars open about an hour before the show and the auditorium about 30 minutes before, so if you come early there's time for a drink.

If you're late, you'll be let in at a suitable break in the performance, and it isn't guaranteed, so give yourself time.