Paddington Green, London W2
Who knows what Sarah would have made of the view from her statue. She faces the Marylebone Flyover on Harrow Road but she sits gracefully in a leafy park which offers respite from the bustle of the dual carriageway into London.
Welsh born in 1755 into a family of travelling theatre actors, her profession as a ‘tragedy’ actor meant she took on many high profile roles including Hamlet, but notably that of Lady Macbeth. She had a successful career before retiring from stage in 1812.
To the north of the park lies St Mary’s Churchyard where Sarah is buried. I only find her tomb due to a google search as it is worn and neglected. Protected with fencing, and erased through time, it is difficult to read the inscription. Before taking a photo I dutifully remove a plastic coke bottle from one of the vertical spikes surrounding the stone. Sarah appears to have been long forgotten here, but at least a statue keeps the memory of her alive.
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