Having recently been made the centrepiece of a new public space from the Strand-Aldwych pedestrianisation project, St Mary le Strand is now presenting a Sound and Light Installation: ‘St Mary le Strand Speaks!’, until 23rd February.

Thanks to financial support from The Northbank BID, the church is now being flooded with light and sounds, with each show lasting 20 minutes at a time and taking place from Mondays to Fridays at 12:00pm – 4:00pm.

The Directors of the show are Tim Mitchell and John Leonard, who combine exploratory light with the sound of George Frederic Handel’s ‘Eternal Source of Light Divine’ to begin the presentation. The church then ‘speaks’ – courtesy of the distinguished actress, Amanda Walker – fresh from playing Clementine in the award-winning film, ‘Triangle of Sadness’. Walker, as the church, answers the many questions that have been put to her over the years: Why were you built in the middle of a road? And why – when you are an Anglican Parish Church – do you look so very Roman Catholic?

The session also focuses on the politics of the day, explaining how a thirty-year-old Scot, James Gibbs, who had never designed a public building in his life, won the Commission to design St Mary le Strand. First told by the Scottish philosopher, David Hume, who had a house in the Strand, the church will give his personal account of the story.

The presentation is open to everyone and has already been visited by over 500 people including local schools, organisations and even those just passing by.

At her next meeting with the public, St Mary le Strand will be hosting events to explore the church’s relationship with the Jacobite cause. These include a Jacobite Trail for children, who will meet ‘Bonnie Prince Charlie’, coupled with Jacobite evenings for adults, where they can have a drink with the Jacobite claimant to the throne.

Ruth Duston, OBE, OC, chief executive of The Northbank Business Improvement District commented:

“St Mary le Strand is the centrepiece of the newly pedestrianised Strand, we are delighted to contribute towards this exciting sound and light installation which celebrates the history and beauty of the Jewel in the Strand.”