Andrew Lloyd Webber's new theatre will send an 'electric message' to the West End, says Wild Party director

Andrew Lloyd Webber's new theatre will send “an electric message” to the West End, according to the director of its debut show.

Drew McOnie’s production of Wild Party opened The Other Palace, formerly the St James Theatre, with a Prohibition story full of sex and violence.

Audiences were warned of “strong language, sexual content, adult themes and gunshots” but McOnie said there was room for “challenging work”.

He said: “It sends out an electric message about what the theatre means.”

The Other Palace was set up by Lloyd Webber, 68, as “a breeding ground” for new musicals with a studio theatre available to songwriters, directors and choreographers and an open mic bar to encourage performers to come to the venue, in Palace Street, Victoria.

He has said he wants it to enable writers and producers to “try out and refine new material without the distraction of complicated sets and automation”.

McOnie, who won an Olivier award for his choreography on the London production of In The Heights by Lin-Manuel Miranda, writer of hit musical Hamilton, said: “Musicals in America feel they can talk about anything while in England they are still seen as a bit lightweight.

"Audiences in London, and every big city come to that, want more from an experience at the theatre, which is why immersive theatre is so popular. Hopefully putting on challenging work and bringing in audiences to new work and things they don’t necessarily know will find a role here… In the Heights was workshopped for six years before it became a hit, so being able to have shows without the pressure of [performing] for hundreds of thousands of people will be really valuable.”