122-503: Bow Street is a thoroughfare in Covent Garden , Westminster , London. It connects Long Acre , Russell Street and Wellington Street, and is part of a route from St Giles to Waterloo Bridge . The street was developed in 1633 by Francis Russell, 4th Earl of Bedford for residential purposes. A number of notable people lived here in the 17th and 18th centuries, including Oliver Cromwell and Robert Harley, 1st Earl of Oxford . In
244-735: A Beefsteak Club , the Sublime Society of Beef Steaks, which was co-founded in 1736 by William Hogarth at the Theatre Royal (now the Royal Opera House). Covent Garden, and especially the market, have appeared in a number of works. It is the place where Job Trotter, character of the Pickwick Papers by Dickens , spends the nights. In 1867, Johann Strauss II from Austria composed "Erinnerung an Covent Garden" (Memory of Covent Garden, op. 329). Eliza Doolittle ,
366-670: A 1957 Free Cinema documentary by Lindsay Anderson , Every Day Except Christmas , which won the Grand Prix at the Venice Festival of Shorts and Documentaries. The Covent Garden Festival , also known as the BOC Covent Garden Festival due to sponsorship by BOC , is or was a festival of music and musical theatre staged across various venues in early summer each year. It was run by administrator Kenneth Richardson from 1996 to 2001. Its impending closure
488-636: A Property company in 2006. Historically, the Bedford Estate defined the boundary of Covent Garden, with Drury Lane to the east, the Strand to the south, St Martin's Lane to the west, and Long Acre to the north. However, over time the area regarded as part of Covent Garden has expanded northwards past Long Acre to High Holborn . Since 1971, with the creation of the Covent Garden Conservation Area which incorporated part of
610-605: A daughter and a son, who were born two months prior to the Battle of the Boyne , which took place in 1690". Given this information, this would make Macklin 107 years old at his death. However, in his own words, he was born 'in the last year of the last century', making the year 1699 the year of his birth. In fact, The Monthly Mirror of February 1796, a year before his death, stated that: "Macklin, according to this statement, must be in his hundred and sixth year, or thereabouts, whereas he
732-575: A la Mode (1759), The School for Husbands, or The Married Libertine (1761), and The Man of the World (1781). The True-Born Irishman (1763), renamed The Irish Fine Lady for its English production, was a hit in Ireland, but a flop in England. Macklin observed: "I believe the audience are right. There's a geography in humour as well as in morals, which I had not previously considered." Brian Friel used
854-411: A long relationship before they were married on 13 February 1778. Macklin lived a tempestuous life, often involved in lawsuits, sometimes acting as his own lawyer. In 1735 he quarrelled with a fellow actor named Thomas Hallam , whom he accidentally killed by thrusting his cane through Hallam's eye. The pair had argued over a wig whilst performing a new farce, Trick for Trick . The incident occurred in
976-675: A meeting place for many Masonic Lodges in the London area. It is in Great Queen Street between Holborn and Covent Garden and has been a Masonic meeting place since 1775. Parts of the building are open to the public daily, and its preserved classic Art Deco style, together with its regular use as a film and television location, have made it a tourist destination. The Covent Garden area has long been associated with entertainment and shopping. Covent Garden has 13 theatres, and over 60 pubs and bars, with most south of Long Acre, around
1098-468: A nonsense poem designed to be particularly difficult to memorise. The word Panjandrum has since passed into the English language. In about 1768 Johan Zoffany created a painting of Macklin's renowned role of Shylock . Maria Macklin was included in the painting in the role of Portia and Jane Lessingham is at the foot of the dias. The painting is unusual in that it includes the lawyer Lord Mansfield to
1220-479: A number of high-profile defendants appeared in the court, including Oscar Wilde , Dr Crippen and the Kray twins , and those facing extradition proceedings, such as Augusto Pinochet and James Earl Ray . The police station closed in 1992, with its work moving to the more modern Charing Cross police station. The court building's Grade II listed status meant it was not economic to update it to modern standards and
1342-437: A performer, Macklin was confined to the mainstream practices of 18th-century theatre companies but, through training young actors, he was able to put his ideas into practice. Appleton states that "Macklin believed acting a science, founded upon nature. He stressed the importance of a thorough knowledge of one's role, of propriety of dress, and of attention the business of the scene; the necessity of avoiding monotony of tone". It
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#17327653376911464-536: A posy of flowers for each head lease, and the Trust protects the property from being redeveloped. In March 2007 CapCo also acquired the shops located under the Royal Opera House. The complete Covent Garden Estate owned by CapCo consists of 550,000 sq ft (51,000 m ), and, as of 2007, has a market value of £650 million. The Royal Opera House, known as "Covent Garden", was constructed as
1586-413: A private charter from Charles II in 1670 for a fruit and vegetable market, permitting him and his heirs to hold a market every day except Sundays and Christmas Day. The original market, consisting of wooden stalls and sheds, became disorganised and disorderly, and John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford , requested an act of Parliament in 1813 to regulate it, then commissioned Charles Fowler in 1830 to design
1708-468: A riot broke out on Bow Street after around 2,000 overseas World War I servicemen awaiting demobilisation clashed with local police. Four Canadian servicemen were later charged with incitement to riot. The event was dubbed in the media as the " Battle of Bow Street ". The Design Council , a charity promoting modern design of buildings, including accessibility for the disabled, has been based at No. 34 Bow Street since 1994. Bow Street Police Station
1830-418: A theatre on or near Bow Street since the first opened in 1732, designed by Edward Shepherd for the actor John Rich . Rich also lived on Bow Street between 1754 and 1761. The presence of the theatre gave the area a reputation for prostitution and changed the character of Bow Street. The first theatre was destroyed by fire in 1808, and a second building, designed by Robert Smirke , opened the following year, but
1952-450: Is Covent Garden . No bus services run along Bow Street, though the route of London Buses route RV1 (from Covent Garden to Waterloo Bridge) ran close by. Bow Street was part of a B road , numbered B401, along with Wellington Street; but it has now been declassified and only Endell Street now bears the number. The area around Bow Street was first developed by Francis Russell, 4th Earl of Bedford in 1633. Buildings were first erected on
2074-639: Is a Grade I listed building . The inclusion of the adjacent old Floral Hall, previously a part of the old Covent Garden Market, created a large new public gathering place. In 1779 the pavement outside the playhouse was the scene of the murder of Martha Ray , mistress of the Earl of Sandwich , by her admirer the Rev. James Hackman . The central square in Covent Garden is simply called "Covent Garden", often marketed as "Covent Garden Piazza" to distinguish it from
2196-591: Is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End , between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane . It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and with the Royal Opera House , itself known as "Covent Garden". The district is divided by the main thoroughfare of Long Acre , north of which is given over to independent shops centred on Neal's Yard and Seven Dials , while
2318-472: Is both Grade II listed, and on CAMRA's National Inventory, due to the quality of the etched and polished glass and the carved woodwork, summed up as "good fin de siècle ensemble". The Freemasons Arms on Long Acre is linked with the founding of the Football Association in 1863; however, the meetings took place at The Freemason's Tavern on Great Queen Street, which was replaced in 1909 by
2440-435: Is in fact no more than ninety-seven". According to William Archer, author of Eminent Actors , there “were no registers of births, deaths, and marriages kept in Ireland in 1690”. Given this information, we must once again go with the very words of Macklin himself who quoted “that he was born in the last year of the last century”. His early life may remain a mystery, but we can be certain of his age at death. His family's surname
2562-731: Is in the Parliamentary constituencies of Cities of London and Westminster and Holborn and St Pancras . For local council elections it falls within the St James's ward for Westminster, and the Holborn and Covent Garden ward for Camden. Covent Garden Market reopened in 1980 as a shopping arcade with restaurants and a pub. The central hall has shops, cafes and bars alongside the Apple Market stalls selling antiques, jewellery, clothing and gifts; there are additional casual stalls in
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#17327653376912684-767: Is mentioned in the Sherlock Holmes story The Man with the Twisted Lip . At the station, Holmes reveals that the beggar Hugh Boone is the aristocrat Neville St. Clair in disguise. Bow Street is one of the streets on the British version of the game Monopoly , which is based in London. It forms a group with Marlborough Street and Vine Street , all of which have connections to the police and law. Citations Sources 51°30′47″N 0°07′19″W / 51.51306°N 0.12194°W / 51.51306; -0.12194 Covent Garden Covent Garden
2806-724: Is one of the few in Central London for which platform access is only by lift or stairs. The journey from Covent Garden to Leicester Square is London's shortest tube journey, at less than 300 yards. Leicester Square tube station is on the Piccadilly and Northern lines. The Northern line links Covent Garden directly to destinations such as Waterloo , Euston , and Camden Town . Charles Macklin Charles Macklin (26 September 1699 – 11 July 1797), (Gaelic: Cathal MacLochlainn , English: Charles McLaughlin ),
2928-467: Is possibly the oldest pub in the area. The first mention of a pub on the site is 1772 (when it was called the Cooper's Arms – the name changing to Lamb & Flag in 1833); the 1958 brick exterior conceals what may be an early 18th-century frame of a house replacing the original one built in 1638. The pub acquired a reputation for staging bare-knuckle prize fights during the early 19th century when it earned
3050-632: The Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1540 under King Henry VIII, monastic lands in England reverted to the crown, including lands belonging to Westminster Abbey such as the Convent Garden and seven acres to the north called Long Acre. In 1552 King Edward VI granted it to John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford , his late father's trusted adviser. The Russell family, who in 1694 were advanced in the peerage from Earl to Duke of Bedford , held
3172-534: The Italianate arcaded square along with the church of St Paul's . The design of the square was new to London and had a significant influence on modern town planning, acting as the prototype for new estates as London grew. By 1654 a small open-air fruit-and-vegetable market had developed on the south side of the fashionable square. Gradually, both the market and the surrounding area fell into disrepute, as taverns, theatres, coffee houses and brothels opened up. By
3294-762: The Place des Vosges in Paris. The centrepiece of the project was the large square, the concept of which was new to London, and this had a significant influence on modern town planning as the metropolis grew, acting as the prototype for the design of new estates, such as the Ladbroke Estate and the Grosvenor Estate . Isaac de Caus , the French Huguenot architect, designed the individual houses under Jones's overall design. The church of St Paul's
3416-652: The Rock Garden music venue was popular with up-and-coming punk rock and new wave artists. The market halls and several other buildings in Covent Garden were bought by Capital & Counties Properties (now known as Shaftesbury Capital ) in partnership with GE Real Estate in August 2006 for £421 million, on a 150-year head lease . The buildings are let to the Covent Garden Area Trust, who pay an annual peppercorn rent of one red apple and
3538-680: The Royal Courts of Justice on The Strand . Performances at the festival include: The Garden Cinema, which opened in March 2022, is located in Parker Street. The cinema is designed in Art Deco style, inside and out. It was founded by retired legal publisher Michael Chambers, of Orbach and Chambers , who bought the office building in 2010 and, after selling his business in 2018, had it converted by architects Burrell Foley Fischer. It
3660-542: The tragedy and comedy genre of plays. He gained his greatest fame in the role of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice . Macklin enjoyed a long career which was often steeped in controversy before dying aged 97. It is thought that Macklin was born near Culdaff , a village in Inishowen in the north of County Donegal in the province of Ulster , Ireland, in 1690, and moved to Great Britain in either 1725 or 1726;
3782-425: The "Great Piazza" and that to the south of Russell Street as the "Little Piazza". None of Inigo Jones's houses remains, though part of the north group was reconstructed in 1877–79 as Bedford Chambers by William Cubitt to a design by Henry Clutton . The first record of a "new market in Covent Garden" is in 1654 when market traders set up stalls against the garden wall of Bedford House. The Earl of Bedford acquired
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3904-586: The "Theatre Royal" in 1732 to a design by Edward Shepherd . During the first hundred years or so of its history, the theatre was primarily a playhouse, with the Letters Patent granted by Charles II giving Covent Garden and Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, exclusive rights to present spoken drama in London. In 1734, the first ballet was presented; a year later Handel 's first season of operas began. Many of his operas and oratorios were specifically written for Covent Garden and had their premières here. It has been
4026-582: The "essential guide and accessory for any serious gentleman of pleasure". In 1830 a market hall was built to provide a more permanent trading centre. In 1913 Herbrand Russell, 11th Duke of Bedford agreed to sell the Covent Garden Estate for £2 million to the MP and land speculator Harry Mallaby-Deeley , who sold his option in 1918 to the Beecham family for £250,000. The Covent Garden Estate
4148-552: The 18th century it had become notorious for its abundance of brothels . An act of Parliament was drawn up to control the area, and Charles Fowler 's neo-classical building was erected in 1830 to cover and help organise the market. The market grew and further buildings were added: the Floral Hall, Charter Market, and in 1904 the Jubilee Market . By the end of the 1960s traffic congestion was causing problems, and in 1974
4270-503: The 18th century, the street declined as a place of residence following the establishment of the nearby Covent Garden Theatre , which led to a reputation for prostitution. During the 19th century, Bow Street was a de facto extension of Covent Garden and its associated markets, selling then-exotic fruit and vegetables. Bow Street has a strong connection with the law; the Bow Street Runners , an early voluntary police force,
4392-473: The 18th century. Garrick and Macklin eventually had a falling out in the mid-1740s, which derailed Macklin's rise whilst propelling Garrick's own career. Macklin, then the stage manager at Drury Lane, participated in an actor walkout. When the actors, led by Garrick, were forced to accept the owner's terms, they had to abandon Macklin, who, as the stage manager, could have quelled the actors' strike, rather than participated in it. Macklin felt betrayed by Garrick and
4514-557: The 1960s, traffic congestion was causing problems for the market, which required increasingly large lorries for deliveries and distribution. The redevelopment was considered, but protests from the Covent Garden Community Association in 1973 prompted the Home Secretary, Robert Carr , to give dozens of buildings around the square listed-building status, preventing redevelopment. The following year
4636-453: The 19th and 20th centuries as well as artefacts and exhibits related to the operation and marketing of passenger services and the impact that the developing transport network has had on the city and its population. St Paul's, commonly known as the Actors' Church, was built in 1633, at a cost of £4,000, though was not consecrated until 1638. In 1645 Covent Garden was made a separate parish and
4758-589: The Abbot of Westminster Abbey for use as arable land and orchards, later referred to as "the garden of the Abbey and Convent", and later "the Convent Garden". Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries it was granted in 1552 by the young King Edward VI to John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford ( c. 1485–1555), the trusted adviser to his father King Henry VIII . The 4th Earl commissioned Inigo Jones to build some fine houses to attract wealthy tenants. Jones designed
4880-814: The Angel and Crown on St Martin's Lane. There is a wide range of restaurants, mainly in Covent Garden's central area around the piazza, and in the St Martin's Lane area bordering the West End; some of these with international reputations. Among the restaurants are the historic theatrical eating places, the oldest of which is Rules , which was founded in 1798, making it the oldest restaurant in London, followed by J. Sheekey, an oyster bar and fish restaurant founded in 1893 by market-stall holder Josef Sheekey in Lord Salisbury 's St Martin's Court, and The Ivy , which
5002-819: The Connaught Rooms. Other Grade II listed pubs include three 19th century rebuilds of 17th century/18th century houses, the Nell Gwynne Tavern in Bull Inn Court, the Nag's Head on James Street, and the White Swan on New Row; a Victorian pub built by lessees of the Marquis of Exeter, the Old Bell on the corner of Exeter Street and Wellington Street; and a late 18th or early 19th century pub
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5124-536: The Jubilee Hall Market on the south side of the square. In 2010, what was then the largest Apple Store in the world opened in The Piazza. Long Acre has clothes shops and boutiques, and Neal Street is noted for its numerous shoe shops. London Transport Museum and the side entrance to the Royal Opera House box office and other facilities are also located on the square. During the late 1970s and 1980s
5246-713: The LGOC was taken over by the London Electric Railway (LER), the collection was expanded to include rail vehicles. It continued to expand after the LER became part of the London Passenger Transport Board in the 1930s and as the organisation passed through various successor bodies up to TfL , London's transport authority since 2000. The Covent Garden building has on display many examples of buses, trams, trolleybuses and rail vehicles from
5368-468: The Scene Room of the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, in front of many witnesses, and Macklin, after the sudden fit of temper, was sorry and arranged for a physician to attend to Hallam. The cane had pierced through Hallam's eye into his brain and he died one day later. Macklin was tried for murder, conducted his own defence and, though not acquitted, escaped with manslaughter . The punishment for manslaughter
5490-912: The Year in 2008 by the Society for the Preservation of Beers from the Wood , and National Pub of the Year by CAMRA in 2010. It was at one time owned by the Charrington Brewery , when it was known as The Welsh Harp; in 1995 the name was abbreviated to just The Harp, before Charrington sold it to Punch Taverns in 1997. It was eventually purchased by the landlady Binnie Walsh around 2010 then subsequently sold by her to Fuller's Brewery in 2014. It continues to win regular CAMRA pub awards under its new owners. The Lamb and Flag in Rose Street
5612-819: The ancient parish of St Giles in the Fields and outside the Liberty of Westminster. They were from 1855 to 1900 part of the St Giles District and from 1900 part of the Metropolitan Borough of Holborn . Covent Garden came within the area of responsibility of the Metropolitan Board of Works from 1855 and in 1889 became part of the County of London . Since 1965 Covent Garden falls within the London boroughs of Westminster and Camden , and
5734-420: The area between St Martin's Lane and Charing Cross Road, Charing Cross Road has sometimes been taken as its western boundary. Long Acre is the main thoroughfare, running north-east from St Martin's Lane to Drury Lane. Shelton Street, running parallel to the north of Long Acre, marks the London borough boundary between Camden and Westminster. The area to the south of Long Acre contains the Royal Opera House ,
5856-484: The cast and Macklin opened his own establishment in 1753. He opened a tavern at which he gave a nightly lecture followed by a debate, which Macklin called the British Inquisition. According to some histories, Macklin claimed at one of these shows to have such a good memory that he could recite any speech after reading through it once. As a challenge, Samuel Foote allegedly wrote The Great Panjandrum ,
5978-406: The central character in George Bernard Shaw 's play, Pygmalion , and the musical adaptation by Alan Jay Lerner , My Fair Lady , is a Covent Garden flower seller. Alfred Hitchcock 's 1972 film Frenzy about a Covent Garden fruit vendor who becomes a serial sex killer, was set in the market where his father had been a wholesale greengrocer. The daily activity of the market was the topic of
6100-463: The church was dedicated to St Paul . How much of Jones's original building is left is unclear, as the church was damaged by fire in 1795 during restoration work by Thomas Hardwick ; the columns are thought to be original but the rest is mostly Georgian or Victorian reconstruction. The building, opposite the Royal Opera House , was opened in 1881 to house both a Magistrates' Court and a police station . As well as dealing with local petty criminals,
6222-399: The comedy troupe Monty Python (who recorded a concert album there), and musical composer and performer Ivor Novello . Since November 2008 the theatre has been owned by composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and generally stages popular musical theatre. It is a Grade I listed building. The London Transport Museum is in a Victorian iron and glass building on the east side of the market square. It
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#17327653376916344-465: The court closed in July 2006. Sold to developers, planning permission was obtained to convert the building into a hotel and museum. A 91-room hotel and a public restaurant, run by the New York based NoMad chain , opened in May 2021, as did a museum of local police history in the former police station. Freemasons' Hall is the headquarters of the United Grand Lodge of England and the Supreme Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of England , as well as
6466-438: The dates in his early life are not entirely clear. According to William Archer in Eminent Actors , "at his death, Macklin was believed to be 97, but his biographers have endeavoured to show that he was at least 107. The main lines of controversy are to be found in the 3 biographies of Congreve, Kirkman, and Cook". Thomas Kirkman and William Cooke, in Eminent Actors , assert that "William MacLochlainn, father of Charles Macklin, had
6588-438: The day and are about 30 minutes in length. In March 2008, the market owner, CapCo, proposed to reduce street performances to one 30-minute show each hour. The Covent Garden area has over 60 pubs and bars; several of them are listed buildings, with some also on CAMRA 's National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors ; some, such as The Harp in Chandos Place, have received consumer awards. The Harp's awards include London Pub of
6710-416: The early records of the Bow Street Runners were destroyed in the Gordon Riots of 1780, when the magistrates' court became a target. Records of arrest history and convictions were burned to expunge the rioters' criminal records. In 1832, the Metropolitan Police Service built a new station house on the site of Nos. 33–34. This did not include the Bow Street Runners, who retained their own identity until
6832-408: The east of Covent Garden. South of Russell Street, the road continues as Wellington Street towards The Strand . As with several other streets in the local area, signs featuring its name are marked with the " Theatreland " logo. The street has historically been part of a through route from St Giles to Waterloo Bridge , though it is no longer the recommended signposted route. The nearest tube station
6954-407: The eighteenth century. Covent Garden is licensed for street entertainment, and performers audition for timetabled slots in a number of venues around the market, including the North Hall, West Piazza, and South Hall Courtyard. The courtyard space is dedicated to classical music only. There are street performances at Covent Garden Market every day of the year, except Christmas Day. Shows run throughout
7076-444: The eponymous surrounding area. Designed and laid out in 1630, it was the first modern square in London—originally a flat, open space or piazza with low railings. From about 1635 onwards there were many private residents of note , including the nobility, living in the Great Piazza. A casual market started on the south side, and by 1830 the present market hall had been built. The space is popular with street performers, who audition with
7198-424: The first of which opened in 1663, making it the oldest continuously used theatre in London. For much of its first two centuries, it was, along with the Royal Opera House, a patent theatre granted rights in London for the production of drama, and had a claim to be one of London's leading theatres. The first theatre, known as "Theatre Royal, Bridges Street", saw performances by Nell Gwyn and Charles Hart . After it
7320-416: The green-room, after the play was over, it was crowded with nobility and critics, who all complimented me in the warmest and most unbounded manner". King George II saw the production and was so moved he could not fall asleep that night. "This is the Jew/ That Shakespeare drew" is a phrase attributed to Pope. Many tried to replicate Macklin's performance of Shylock, but none of the six actors that attempted
7442-411: The home of The Royal Opera since 1945, and the Royal Ballet since 1946. The current building is the third theatre on the site following destructive fires in 1808 and 1857. The façade, foyer and auditorium were designed by Edward Barry , and date from 1858, but almost every other element of the present complex dates from an extensive £178 million reconstruction in the 1990s. The main auditorium
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#17327653376917564-463: The land until 1918. Russell built Bedford House and garden on part of the land, with an entrance on the Strand, the large garden stretching back along the south side of the old walled-off convent garden. In 1630 Francis Russell, 4th Earl of Bedford commissioned the architect Inigo Jones to design and build a church and three terraces of fine houses around a large square or piazza. This had been prompted by King Charles I having taken offence at
7686-424: The left who may have commissioned the painting. The painting is now in The Tate in London. Macklin returned to the stage, but finally retired in 1789, when he found he was no longer able to recall the entire part of Shylock. He lived another eight years, supported by the income from a subscription edition of two of his best plays, The Man of the World and Love in a Maze . He wrote many plays, including Love
7808-491: The main shopping area of the old market. The Seven Dials area in the north of Covent Garden was home to the punk rock club The Roxy in 1977, and the area remains focused on young people with its trendy mid-market retail outlets. Street entertainment at Covent Garden was noted in Samuel Pepys 's diary in May 1662, when he recorded the first mention of a Punch and Judy show in Britain. Impromptu performances of song and swimming were given by local celebrity William Cussans in
7930-551: The management. He lived a long life and may have died a centenarian, although that is not without doubt. While his second wife gave his birth year as 1690 on the memorial tablet installed in St. Paul's Church, Covent Garden , making him 107 at his death; others have suggested that he was born in 1699 or 1710. His memorial shows a dagger piercing the eye of a theatrical mask, a contrite reference to his altercation with Thomas Hallam. Macklin's famous role as Shylock and introduction of naturalistic acting would later influence realism in
8052-417: The market and central square, and most of the elegant buildings, theatres and entertainment facilities, including the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane , and the London Transport Museum; while the area to the north of Long Acre is largely given over to independent retail units centred on Neal Street, Neal's Yard and Seven Dials ; though this area also contains residential buildings such as Odhams Walk, built in 1981 on
8174-448: The market moved to a new site in Nine Elms, between Battersea and Vauxhall in southwest London. The square languished until its central building re-opened as a shopping centre in 1980. After consulting with residents and local businesses, Westminster Council drew up an action plan to improve the area while retaining its historic character in 2004. The market buildings, along with several other properties in Covent Garden, were bought by
8296-416: The market relocated to its new site, New Covent Garden Market, about three miles (5 km) south-west at Nine Elms . The central building re-opened as a shopping centre in 1980, with cafes, pubs, small shops and a craft market called the Apple Market. Among the first shops to relocate here was Benjamin Pollock's Toy Shop . Another market, the Jubilee Market, is held in the Jubilee Hall on the south side of
8418-416: The market relocated to the New Covent Garden Market about three miles (5 km) southwest at Nine Elms . The central building re-opened as a shopping centre in 1980 and is now a tourist location containing cafes, pubs, small shops, and a craft market called the Apple Market, along with another market held in the Jubilee Hall. Covent Garden falls within the London boroughs of Westminster and Camden and
8540-435: The market, were sold to the newly established government-owned Covent Garden Authority for £3,925,000. By the end of the 1960s, traffic congestion had reached such a level that the use of the square as a modern wholesale distribution market was becoming untenable, and significant redevelopment was planned. Following a public outcry, buildings around the square were protected in 1973, preventing redevelopment. The following year
8662-446: The modern police force, the Bow Street Runners , were founded there by novelist and dramatist Henry Fielding around 1750, after he assembled a group of volunteers who would be paid for securing convictions and could take private commission or rewards. Fielding called them "thief-takers", but the Bow Street Runner name did not appear until later in the century. Following his death, Fielding was succeeded by his half-brother John. Many of
8784-401: The name "Covent"—an Anglo-French term for a religious community, equivalent to "monastery" or "convent" —appears in a document in 1515, when the Abbey, which had been letting out parcels of land along the north side of the Strand for inns and market gardens, granted a lease of the walled garden, referring to it as "a garden called Covent Garden". This is how it was recorded from then on. After
8906-484: The necessity of business could ever make them associate together". Even the necessity of business sometimes dissolved; however, after some contract and pay disagreements in the 1741–42 season, Macklin and nearly the entire Drury Lane resident company left and attempted to find work elsewhere. Macklin's most important role, the one that catapulted him to stardom in eighteenth-century London, was Shylock in The Merchant of Venice on 14 February 1741. For several decades,
9028-516: The neo-classical market building that is the heart of Covent Garden today. The "greater part of the pillars" were built from granite quarried from Cairngall in today's Aberdeenshire . The contractor was William Cubitt and Company . Further buildings were added—the Floral hall, Charter Market, and in 1904 the Jubilee Market for foreign flowers was built by Cubitt and Howard. By the end of
9150-578: The next fifty years, as well as Iago in Othello and the Ghost in Hamlet . In Ben Jonson 's Volpone , he played the part of Mosca. He was the creator of Sir Pertinax Macsycophant, a famous burlesque character, and he was Macbeth at Covent Garden in 1772, in a production with authentic Scottish costumes. Together with David Garrick , his student, friend, and partner, Macklin revolutionised acting in
9272-484: The nickname "Bucket of Blood". The alleyway beside the pub was the scene of an attack on John Dryden in 1679 by thugs hired by John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester , with whom he had a long-standing conflict. The Salisbury in St Martin's Lane was built as part of a six-storey block around 1899 on the site of an earlier pub that had been known under several names, including the Coach & Horses and Ben Caunt's Head; it
9394-627: The notion of historical accuracy in costuming, which would later become an inherent feature of realism in the 19th century. Macklin did not merely "study" the Jews. According to Appleton, "he actually interacted with them in marketplaces and learned to gradually adapt their way of speech". Finally, opening night came. This faithfulness to Shakespeare's original intent for the character, combined with Macklin's revolutionary method of attempting some semblance of realism in his performance, resulted in uproarious applause. Macklin himself confesses, "On my return to
9516-683: The old town, and the site returned to fields. The first mention of a walled garden comes from a document, c. 1200 AD , detailing land owned by the Benedictine monks of the Abbey of St Peter, Westminster . A later document, dated between 1250 and 1283, refers to "the garden of the Abbot and Convent of Westminster". By the 13th century this had become a 40-acre (16 ha) quadrangle of mixed orchard, meadow, pasture and arable land, lying between modern-day St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane , and Floral Street and Maiden Lane . The use of
9638-427: The organisation disbanded in 1839. A new magistrates' court was designed by John Taylor at a cost of £38,400 (now £4,890,000) and constructed between 1879 and 1881. Oscar Wilde was arrested and charged with gross indecency at the court in 1895; following an overnight stay on remand, he ordered tea, toast and eggs from the nearby Tavistock Hotel, who delivered them to his cell. In 1961, Bertrand Russell , then aged 89,
9760-648: The other actors and he refused the £3 a week that Garrick offered him. He also acted regularly in Dublin, in the Aunger Street and Smock Alley Theatres and in the Crow Street Theatre, which he founded in 1758. Macklin was replaced by Samuel Foote at Drury Lane when he was appearing in An Englishman in Paris . It was written by Foote and he took Macklin's role. Maria Macklin remained in
9882-563: The parliamentary constituencies of Cities of London and Westminster and Holborn and St Pancras . The area has been served by the Piccadilly line at Covent Garden tube station since 1907; the 300-yard (270 m) journey from Leicester Square tube station is the shortest in London. During the Roman period , what is now the Strand – running along the southern boundary of the area that
10004-510: The play as the basis for his one-act The London Vertigo produced in Dublin in 1992. Macklin revolutionised acting in the 18th century by introducing a natural style of acting, being the first actor of his generation to break away from the old declamatory style. According to Wilson Goldfarb, "the predominant approach to acting in the 18th century is usually described as bombastic or declamatory, terms that suggest its emphasis on oratorical skills". Due to this emphasis on speaking, rehearsal time
10126-533: The poor condition of the road and houses along Long Acre, which were the responsibility of Russell and Henry Carey, 2nd Earl of Monmouth . Russell and Carey complained that under the 1625 Proclamation concerning Buildings, which restricted building in and around London, they could not build new houses. For a fee of £2,000, the King then granted Russell a licence to build as many new houses on his land as he "shall thinke fitt and convenient". The houses initially attracted
10248-515: The popular version of the play was a "fixed" text by George Granville, titled The Jew of Venice . In it, many roles were expanded, while Shylock and others were dramatically shortened. The eighteenth-century audiences were used to seeing a comic Shylock. Macklin wanted a different path to playing this character. While Macklin did not return to Shakespeare's script exactly as it was written, he did make his own edits to his script that were much closer than Granville's text. Instead of portraying Shylock as
10370-466: The role at the rival Covent Garden theatre from 1744 to 1746 were able to match nearly the acclaim that Macklin had received for his Shylock. Even Macklin was unable to match his performance. He did have a varied career, filled with at least 490 roles, but none of them were anywhere near the uproar his Shylock caused. Even his two closest in hype, roles from The Confederacy and Love for Love, were roles designed to emulate Shylock. He played Shylock for nearly
10492-458: The scene. Macklin was one of the forerunners to stress the need to regularise rehearsals. Appleton states that "actors, compelled by the repertory system to know scores of parts, generally relied on conventional attitudes, gestures, and tones to carry them through a performance and felt little enthusiasm for this discipline. Sometimes they were absent from rehearsals. Often they arrived late, stumbled through their lines and drifted away". Macklin
10614-455: The site of the Odhams print works, and is home to 7,000 residents. For a list of street name etymologies in Covent Garden see: Street names of Covent Garden . The Covent Garden estate was originally under the control of Westminster Abbey and lay in the parish of St Margaret . During a reorganisation in 1542 it was transferred to St Martin in the Fields , and then in 1645 a new parish
10736-711: The site's owners for an allocated slot. The square was originally laid out when the 4th Earl of Bedford, Francis Russell, commissioned Inigo Jones to design and build a church and three terraces of fine houses around the site of a former walled garden belonging to Westminster Abbey. Jones's design was informed by his knowledge of modern town planning in Europe, particularly Piazza d'Arme, in Leghorn, Tuscany , Piazza San Marco in Venice, Piazza Santissima Annunziata in Florence, and
10858-674: The south contains the central square with its street performers and most of the historical buildings, theatres and entertainment facilities, including the London Transport Museum and the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane . The area was fields until briefly settled in the 7th century when it became the heart of the Anglo-Saxon trading town of Lundenwic , then abandoned at the end of the 9th century after which it returned to fields. By 1200 part of it had been walled off by
10980-406: The square. The market halls and several other buildings in Covent Garden have been owned by the property company Capital & Counties Properties (CapCo) since 2006. In 1980 the London Transport Museum opened in part of the old flower market buildings, and these were refurbished in around 2005 to re-open in 2007. The current Theatre Royal on Drury Lane is the most recent of four incarnations,
11102-489: The stage. Appleton portrays how Macklin trained his students to do this: “In the garden of his Drumcondra, Dublin house, two of his pupils would stroll down two parallel walks while Macklin walked in the middle. They would walk for ten paces, and then exchange bits of conversation. They would repeat this many times until Macklin was satisfied in every particular”. In this way, Macklin drilled his students until they acquired an ease of speech and manner. To cope with projection in
11224-488: The street between 1743 and 1748. Will's Coffee House was founded at No. 71 Bow Street in 1671 by William Urvin. It became popular during the 1690s, extending to No. 20 Russell Street, and survived until 1751. Many residents moved away from Bow Street after the theatre was established in the early 18th century. Life in the street declined and became known for pornography and prostitution . The publisher Edmund Curll lived at No. 2 during this time, and by 1740
11346-587: The street held 8 pubs, concealing a number of brothels . In 1833, the Commissioners of Woods, Forest and Land Revenues were looking to buy land on and around Bow Street, and discovered that James Robinson, lessee to the Duke of Bedford, was running a brothel there. In the following legal dispute, Robinson's legal team accused the Commissioner's surveyor of being prejudiced against prostitution. The building
11468-536: The street in 1645. Robert Harley, 1st Earl of Oxford was born there in 1661. Charles Sackville, 6th Earl of Dorset lived here around 1685. The woodcarver Grinling Gibbons had premises on Bow Street between 1678 and 1721, while the physician John Radcliffe stayed on the street in the 1680s. Author and scribe John Ayres stayed at Bow street during the late 17th century, as did the playwright William Wycherley . The actor-manager David Garrick lived at No. 6 between 1742 and 1744 while Charles Macklin stayed in
11590-557: The theatres, Macklin would often recite from Milton 's Paradise Lost or soliloquies from Macbeth or Othello, having his students to imitate him in clarity, speech, and volume. Appleton adds that "while he concentrated primarily on achieving clear and natural diction, he stressed as well the importance of mastering variety of tone and pause to indicate transitions of thought and associations of ideas". Macklin taught his students three fundamental pauses: moderate, longer, and grand. Each type of pause served an important function depending on
11712-452: The two daughters and co-heiresses of Thomas Wriothesley, 4th Earl of Southampton (1607-1667). Rachel's son and heir was Wriothesley Russell, 2nd Duke of Bedford (1680–1711). By the 18th century, Covent Garden had become a well-known red-light district, attracting notable prostitutes such as Betty Careless and Jane Douglas . Descriptions of the prostitutes and where to find them were provided by Harris's List of Covent Garden Ladies ,
11834-448: The usual comic pantolone, he played him as darkly villainous, serious, and highly satirical. Next, rather than dress Shylock as a clown, Macklin researched his role. He studied Josephus ' Antiquities of the Jews , and in the old testament. He learned that Italian Jews , especially from Venice , were known to wear red hats, so he took that as a basis for his costume. In seeking to portray Jews exactly how they looked, Macklin emphasised
11956-570: The wealthy, although they moved out when a market developed on the south side of the square around 1654, and coffee houses, taverns, and prostitutes moved in. The Bedford Estate was expanded by the inheritance of the former manor of Bloomsbury to the immediate north of Covent Garden following the marriage of William Russell, Lord Russell (1639–1683) (third son of William Russell, 1st Duke of Bedford of Woburn Abbey in Bedfordshire ) to Rachel Wriothesley , heiress of Bloomsbury, younger of
12078-457: The west of the old Roman town of Londinium were borne out by excavations in 1985 and 2005. These revealed that a trading town, called Lundenwic , developed around 600 AD, stretching from Trafalgar Square to Aldwych , with Covent Garden at the centre. Alfred the Great gradually shifted the settlement into the old Roman town of Londinium from around 886 AD onwards, leaving no mark of
12200-493: The west side of the street that year, and it was fully built by around 1635–36. Development to the northeast was restricted by a brick wall that had been built by the Earl's cousin, Edward Russell, 3rd Earl of Bedford , in 1610 as a land boundary and remained undeveloped for some time. It was eventually built on between 1673 and 1677, with eleven properties constructed. The street was named Bow Street in 1638 after its basic shape. It
12322-477: Was McLaughlin , but "seeming somewhat uncouth to the pronunciation of an English tongue,” he changed it for the English stage. He found various jobs as an actor in London, but, apparently, his Ulster accent was an obstacle to success and he could not find a steady theatre home until he was noticed in a small character role in Henry Fielding 's Coffee-House Politician at Lincoln's Inn Fields in 1725. It
12444-409: Was after that fine performance, that would go unnoticed by a lesser actor, that he was snatched up by the Theatre Royal on Drury Lane as an actor and a resident acting manager, serving with James Quin . Their relationship was professional, but full of plenty of animosity. Macklin devotes a lengthy section of his memoirs to Quin, giving examples of their disagreements. Macklin admits that "nothing but
12566-405: Was also destroyed by fire in 1856. The third building was designed by Edward Middleton Barry and opened in 1858. The Floral Hall, part of Barry's redevelopment, was badly damaged by fire in 1956, but the remainder survived through the 20th century. A £9.75 million modernisation and extension scheme took place between 1994 and 2000, including a reconstruction of the Floral Hall. In March 1919,
12688-480: Was always the Earl's intention to extend it as far as Long Acre , but this was delayed. It was eventually connected by his son, William Russell, 1st Duke of Bedford , who gave ownership of the street over to the Paving Commissioners of St. Martin in the Fields, so it could be a public right of way. Bow Street had a number of notable residents in the 17th and 18th centuries. Oliver Cromwell moved to
12810-782: Was an Irish actor and dramatist who performed extensively at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane . Macklin revolutionised theatre in the 18th century by introducing a "natural style" of acting. He is also famous for accidentally killing a man during a fight over a wig at the same theatre. Macklin was born in County Donegal in the Irish region of Ulster in the north of Ireland. He was raised in Dublin , where he attended school in Islandbridge after his father's death and his mother's remarriage. Macklin became known for his many performances in
12932-551: Was announced in late 2001, owing to lack of sponsorship for 2002. However, official company records show incorporation in 1989 and ongoing registration as of 2022 . Venues used for the festival have included the Bow Street Magistrates' Court ; the Covent Garden piazza; the Royal Opera House ; Cochrane Theatre , Holborn ; Peacock Theatre in Kingsway WC2 , venues at Lincoln's Inn and The Temple ; and
13054-602: Was brought to the court after demonstrating as part of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament . He later spent a week at Brixton Prison . The courts closed in July 2006 as its Grade II listing meant it was not economical to update it to modern standards. The building was then sold and converted into a boutique hotel and a police museum , both of which opened in May 2021. The Royal Opera House fronts onto Bow Street. There has been
13176-584: Was created, splitting governance of the estate between the parishes of St Paul Covent Garden and St Martin, both still within the Liberty of Westminster . St Paul Covent Garden was completely surrounded by the parish of St Martin in the Fields. It was grouped into the Strand District in 1855. In 1900 it became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Westminster and was abolished as a civil parish in 1922. The northern reaches of Covent Garden were within
13298-425: Was demolished, but made little difference to the area's reputation. In 1844, a resident suggested the street should be renamed as a continuation of Wellington Street to distance itself from the reputation Bow Street had acquired. Bow Street's character changed during the 18th century to cover police and law. No. 4, originally built by James Browne in 1703–4, served as a magistrates' court from 1740. The forerunner of
13420-517: Was designed as a dedicated flower market by William Rogers of William Cubitt and Company in 1871, and was first occupied by the museum in 1980. Previously the transport collection had been held at Syon Park and Clapham . The first parts of the collection were brought together at the beginning of the 20th century by the London General Omnibus Company (LGOC) when it began to preserve buses being retired from service. After
13542-654: Was destroyed by fire in 1672, English dramatist and theatre manager Thomas Killigrew constructed a larger theatre on the same spot, which opened in 1674. Killigrew's theatre lasted nearly 120 years, under leadership including Colley Cibber , David Garrick , and Richard Brinsley Sheridan . In 1791, under Sheridan's management, the building was demolished to make way for a larger theatre which opened in 1794. However, that survived only 15 years, burning down in 1809. The building that stands today opened in 1812. It has been home to actors as diverse as Shakespearean actor Edmund Kean , child actress Clara Fisher , comedian Dan Leno ,
13664-533: Was established here by Henry Fielding in 1750, and the Metropolitan Police Service operated a station house from 1832, which led to the construction of the Bow Street Magistrates' Court . Today, only a short run of buildings from No. 35 to Russell Street remain on their original sites; the rest having been given up for large buildings. Bow Street is around 0.1 miles (0.16 km) long and runs between Russell Street and Long Acre, to
13786-424: Was founded as an unlicensed Italian cafe by Abel Giandellini in 1917. Other restaurants include Gaby's Deli , a Jewish cafe and restaurant serving falafels and salt beef sandwiches since 1965, and Mon Plaisir, founded in 1943, one of the oldest French restaurants in London. Covent Garden was home to some of London's earliest coffee shops, such as Old Slaughter's Coffee House , which ran from 1692 until 1843, and
13908-435: Was involved in a relationship with an Irish actress. Her name was thought to be Ann Grace or Ann Grace Purvor. She was a noted actress and she assumed the name of Macklin although it is likely the pair never married. Their daughter, Maria Macklin (1733–1781), became a popular actress. Ann died on 28 December 1758 and he began an affair with his servant Elizabeth Jones, whose age was matched to that of his daughter. They had
14030-478: Was not only concerned about his individual actors, but with the whole production, and so everyone had to come prepared and on time. This led to a relentless discipline unmatched in other students at the time. For the rest of his life, Macklin would continue to train his students with such intensity and passion and through them, make an important contribution to the English Theatre. During the 1730s Macklin
14152-508: Was not uncommon for Macklin to advise a student to unlearn all they had learned about acting. According to Appleton "Macklin made this the preliminary condition for all of his pupils. To hesitate was to be instantly dismissed. But once the condition had been agreed to, Macklin proved a dedicated teacher, willing to take infinite pains and often willing to instruct them for nothing". Most importantly, Macklin wanted his students to speak as they would in everyday life; basically transferring reality to
14274-465: Was part of Beecham Estates and Pills Limited from 1924 to 1928, after which it was managed by a successor company called Covent Garden Properties, owned by the Beechams and other private investors. This new company sold some properties at Covent Garden, while becoming active in property investment in other parts of London. In 1962 the bulk of the remaining properties in the Covent Garden area, including
14396-599: Was ready by 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed its opening. The cinema partners with a number of film festivals and other organisations, as well as hosting Q&As, live music, and poetry recitals. Covent Garden tube station is situated on the corner of Long Acre and James Street. It is served by Piccadilly line trains, which link the area directly to important Central London destinations including King's Cross St Pancras , South Kensington , and Heathrow Airport ( [REDACTED] ). The station opened in 1907, and
14518-428: Was short, stage movement was standardised, and actors often spoke directly to the audience rather than characters onstage. Wilson and Goldfarb go on to say that there were a few innovators who were "opposed to the emphasis on declamation, stereotypical positions of performers onstage, and singsong delivery of verse; they wanted to create individual characters, and they wanted to have more careful rehearsal procedures". As
14640-414: Was the branding of a letter 'M' upon the hand, by this period not with a hot but with a cold iron, although there is no evidence that this was actually carried out on Macklin. In 1772 he sued the organizers of a riot among the theatregoers who had demanded that he be fired. He recovered £600, but chose to accept instead the defendants' purchase of £100 in tickets at three benefits for himself, his daughter and
14762-441: Was the first building and was begun in July 1631 on the western side of the square. The last house was completed in 1637. Seventeen of the houses had arcaded portico walks organised in groups of four and six either side of James Street on the north side, and three and four either side of Russell Street. These arcades, rather than the square itself, took the name Piazza; the group from James Street to Russell Street became known as
14884-607: Was to become Covent Garden – was part of the route to Silchester , known as "Iter VII" on the Antonine Itinerary . Excavations in 2006 at St Martin-in-the-Fields revealed a group of late Roman graves, suggesting the site had been sacred since at least 350 AD. The area to the north of the Strand was long thought to have remained as unsettled fields until the 16th century, but theories by Alan Vince and Martin Biddle that there had been an Anglo-Saxon settlement to
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