St Paul's Covent Garden

5"X7" Acrylic on board


Designed by Inigo Jones in the 1630s as part of the "Covent Garden Piazza", it is also known as the Actors' Church for its close association with nearby West End theatres and the neighbouring Royal Opera House.

The famous setting for the opening scene of Shaw's Pygmalion, it also saw the first recorded (by Samuel Pepys) English performance of a Punch and Judy play. It has its own in-house professional theatre company, Iris Theatre, and the Orchestra of St Paul's, a professional chamber ensemble, is also based here.

On the day I was there there were mime artists, jugglers and magicians performing outside.