Street – Barons Court Theatre

STREET, brought to the Barons Court Theatre by ‘Mos Sans Productions’, follows Miriam and Foster. Both are homeless, neglected and ignored by anyone but each other, and have little to no hope that anything will change. Writer and director Liviu Monsted uses these two compelling characters to explore the realities of living on the street. It’s a strong, moving and effective script, that only gets stronger when Miriam and Foster are joined by Fay and Christian. These newcomers hold up a mirror to those who romanticise homelessness and the ‘freedom’ it brings. Christian, in particular, is convinced that Foster and Miriam are lucky. Lucky that they don’t have a job, lucky that they are ignored by so much of society. It’s a wonderful depiction of the ignorance and privilege of those who view a night on the street as an exciting opportunity to gain ‘perspective’. Monsted’s script forces us all to confront our treatment of homeless people and, hopefully, reconsider our future behaviour.

The cast were just as strong as the script. Maisie Tiedeman brings an eloquence, thoughtfulness, and empathy to Miriam. Despite everything she’s been through, she still wants to help in any way she can. Billy Gurney’s Foster, by contrast, is quick to anger, but evidently cares deeply about Miriam and the home he has found on their street. Serena Lehman’s Fay is the perfect depiction of privileged ignorance. Initially she others Miriam and Foster, referring to them and other homeless people only as ‘they’. But, as the play unfolds, her eyes are opened and her ignorance challenged. Lehman performs the character arc wonderfully. Hadrian Conyngham’s Christian is a joy to hate. He spends one night on the street and becomes obsessed with the ‘freedom’ it brings, not appreciating Miriam and Foster’s reality. Christian’s privileged perspective is damaging, and Conyngham conveys it as such.  Mitch Howell’s makes the most of his few appearances, heartbreakingly demonstrating Manning’s desperation after having lived on the street so long.

The direction, however, left something to be desired. Much of the action was blocked on the stage floor which, while perhaps accurate to the reality of homelessness, meant that several audience members couldn’t see what was happening (myself included). Many were craning their necks, standing up and even moving around just to get a glimpse of the actors. This wasn’t helped by the fact that the performance seemed to be overbooked, with the usher having to get extra seats. Additionally, Barons Court Theatre has a thrust stage, meaning the audience surround the performers on three sides. Unfortunately, Monsted’s blocking appears not to have fully considered this, as there were frequent moments where the actors directly faced each other, therefore blocking the side-on audience’s views.

There were also too many blackouts for my taste; with nearly every scene ending this way. While I appreciate that this was likely intended to show the endless monotony of the days on the street, and perhaps to stay in line with the understated nature of the play, it was overdone. There are several other ways to demonstrate the passage of time, ones that would not have disrupted the play’s momentum.

Overall, STREET achieves its goal of raising awareness of the reality of homelessness, and this, combined with the money it’s raising for The Barons Court Project, is ultimately what matters most. But, as a play in and of itself, it left something to be desired.

STREET is running at the Barons Court Theatre until the 7^th of June.

Reviewer: Ben Pearson

Reviewed: 3rd of June 2025

North West End UK Rating: