Walking around Covent Garden Square, you will inevitably be drawn to the street performers who do their business there. Perhaps you'll be drawn to the west side of the square, where there's a huge portico with a strange false door in the center. If you've ever seen Pygmalion or My Fair Lady, it will look familiar to you. Nearby is a plaque with the location of the first "Punch and Judy" performance recorded by Pepys in 1662. But how many people realize that this is actually the rear building of one of London's most famous churches?"
In 1630, Francis Russell, 4th Earl of Bedford, was granted permission to develop the land he owned north of the Marina. The result was Covent Garden Square, London's first formal square. Bedford commissioned Inigo Jones to design three beautiful terraces of houses around a square and a church on the west side of the square. This would be the first brand new church built in London since the Reformation. Bedford is said to have asked Jones to design a church "not much better than a barn." Jones is said to have replied, "Then you will have the prettiest barn in England." Other famous London landmarks designed by Jones include the Banqueting House in Whitehall, the Queen's House in Greenwich and the Queen's Chapel in St. James's Palace.
The Jones-designed church has a large Italianate entrance with large columns facing east toward the square. When the Bishop of London insisted on placing the altar against the east wall, the porch was destined never to be used as the main entrance, but to be replaced by two small doors on either side. The main entrance to the church is therefore the west door, which is reached through the graveyard by way of Bedford Street.
The church was completed in 1633 at a cost of nearly ￡5,000 and was sanctified in 1638. It was originally thought to be a chapel within the parish of St. Martin's, but in 1645, when Covent Garden became a separate parish, the church was dedicated to St. Paul's. In 1789 the church underwent a period of restoration, but was damaged by fire in 1795. The church survived with a pulpit carved by the Record and Molted Gibbon, and the walls and foundations remained intact. Three years later, the church was reconsecrated.
The Covent Garden area has been associated with the theater since the founding of the Theater Royal on Drury Lane in 1663. Inigo Jones, himself the first important early modern architect, was closely associated with the theater. He introduced moveable scenery and stage arches to the English theater and performed over 500 productions between 1605-1640, many of them in collaboration with Ben Jonson. This status was cemented when the Covent Garden Theater (now the Royal Opera House) opened in 1723. Today, Covent Garden is the center of London's theater scene.
Notable connections with the church include J.M.W. Turner and W.s. Gilbert, who were baptized here. The first known victim of the plague outbreak of 1665, along with the grinning gibbon, Thomas Arne (composer of England's Reign) and the conductor Sir Charles Mackerras, rest in the graveyard. The ashes of theater hostesses Ellen Terry and Edith Evans are stored in the church.
London's theater community is a close-knit one, and St. Paul's Covent Garden, more familiarly known as the Actors' Chapel, is where people from this prestigious group celebrated their lives at memorial services as they passed through. It's a lovely, intimate space holding about 300 people. I've been to more of these memorial services than I'd like to say, but the way the theater community has the opportunity to say "goodbye" is very special. More celebratory than a funeral, it is not uncommon for excerpts from plays, dance music or show tunes to have a place in the service. (To accommodate a larger crowd, or if the character's status as a larger church is warranted, the memorial service will be held at St. Martin in the Fields or, more rarely, at Westminster Abbey.)
Inside the actor's roomch, St. Paul's, Covent GardenStep into Covent Garden at St. Paul's and you're immediately struck by the light and air. Looking around, you notice memorial plaques to some of the most prominent members of the theater community. Familiar names jump out at you such as Charlie Chaplin, Boris Karloff, Ivor Novello, Lawrence Harvey, Stanley Holloway, Vivien Leigh, Terence Rattigan, no El Coyote and many more. They are forever associated with this church and the theater community.
In honor of outstanding members of the theater community, such as actors church walls in 2007, the church founded its own professional theater company, Iris Player, which performs in the church and in the tranquil surrounding gardens. The St. Paul's Orchestra is a professional chamber orchestra. They perform regularly in a series of performances at St. Paul's and throughout the UK.Next time you're strolling through Covent Garden, take a moment to stop and rest in the garden of the Actors' Church. If it's open, walk into the church. Immerse yourself in the history of the architecture and theater. You'll be captivated by this oasis of calm, which is bustling with activity.
The award-winning gardens are currently undergoing restoration due to significant settlement in the south courtyard. The church is improving the whole area, including a children's maze, new lighting and trees. When it is completed later this year it will be named the Golden Jubilee Garden to mark the 60th anniversary of the Queen's coronation. The church has not yet reached its ￡100,000 target and if you are interested in contributing to the appeal you can contact the church directly at info@acorschurch.