A powerful retelling of a true story, delivering poignant insight into the mechanisms of violence.
The Blank Space Collective’s most recent production, ‘Riot Street’ has joined a line up of thirty plays selected for the Peckham Fringe Festival. Seren Hamilton’s new play chronicles the true events of the deaths of two young brothers, Ben and Elis, who suffered a fatal collision on a scooter after being chased by a police van. The boys’ death sparks rage within the community of Ely, South Wales and erupts into a series of riots to protest the tragic injustice. Employing first hand accounts and powerful observational detail, Hamilton’s fictionalised retelling weaves a complex tale of police apathy, violence and the irreversible impact of loss on a community.
Hamilton’s script was the bedrock of the performance, packed with elegant metaphoric detail and showed a deft skill for capturing the voices of different characters. The emotional pacing was impactful and nuanced, and verbal echoing was an effective way of threading the stories together. A particularly strong choice was to have a non-linear narrative, interspersing the play with the police radio description of the tragic scene (voiced by Tom Kemp) – this was a clever use of foreshadowing that filled the audience with palpable dread.
The show was remarkably well-cast, and the actors all embodied their characters convincingly. Meg Coslett was particularly compelling as the Reverend, with sharp comedic timing and took the audience on a journey with a clear instinct for storytelling. Coslett’s performance gave us unique insight into the wider impact of the tragedy on the community.
Ben and Elis’ crackling sibling dynamic (energetically portrayed by Angharad Phillips and Geri McNamara) was bursting with mischief and youthful ignorance, which made the tragedy of the event all the more intense. Siobhan Bevan as their mother delivered a heart-wrenchingly powerful monologue about grief and loss with maturity and authenticity, as she confronted the audience and her community. Gareth Tilley, as the person who incited the riots, skillfully complicated his character’s cold and crass demeanour with a pain behind his eyes, as he personified the sentiments of cavalier violence as a form of working class revenge. Carwyn Healy who played the policeman who chased the boys, presents perhaps the most complex character with affecting intensity.
Within the limited span of an hour, the story explores the riots, but their actual nature and specific impact on the community remain somewhat unknowable and aren’t shown, making the play’s title feel underexplored. There could also have been more opportunity to have the characters interact, as the show was at its most engaging when all of Alice Hagan’s simple and effective set was utilised, with music and fast paced movement from the ensemble. This lack of dynamism at points made it feel like a cabaret of related monologues rather than a story woven together on stage.
Ultimately, however, ‘Riot Street’ gives poignant insight into the mechanisms of violence and the dangers of apathy. Hamilton invites you to mourn the loss and feel the injustice of this true story, and does so with a well-constructed script, and commendable performances.