Act one

Amy and Chris who are both studying at university and have recently moved in together. ("Love Is") A new girl moves in next door, Kerry, who is loud, friendly and sensual, everything that Amy isn't. ("The Girl Next Door") Amy is studying feminism and is a bit of a prude, but she befriends Kerry and takes her out shopping, along with Chris's grandmother, Jo. Jo and Kerry have very similar taste in clothing and in the beauty of being female. ("Yes I Know") Amy is against the flaunting of women's sexuality in advertising.

Chris's mum, Sue is recently separated from her husband and is trying to cope with being alone. ("Never Going To End") Her ex is demanding a divorce hearing so that they can split up their assets. What she doesn't know is that he has already moved on with someone else. Chris doesn't want to tell his mother, as he knows she won't cope with this.

Chris and Amy talk about what's going on in their life. ("How’s Life") Chris tells Amy that he's been accepted to study in London, which is a huge opportunity for him, but Amy doesn't want to go and doesn't believe that Chris wants her there anyway.

A few weeks later they go out for a two-year anniversary dinner but Chris is running late. ("Mobile Phone Quartet") This forces Amy to see that they are on two different paths and that he doesn't seem to want her in his life. They break up. ("Never Going To End") Sue discovers that she has breast cancer and doesn't want to tell her son, even though Jo is telling her that she needs his support. Kerry is now working in a call centre and seeing someone new. The Act finishes with the company singing. ("Overcome")

Act two

The act opens with, ("Got to Get to"). Six months have passed and Chris has stayed in Australia and moved back in with his mum to help her out. Jo is looking after her daughter and gets frustrated when Chris doesn't pull his weight. Chris has finished university, but is working in a café. This has made him angry, frustrated and selfish telling everyone that he put his life on hold for this.

Amy and Kerry have become good friends and spend many nights together drinking and going out on the town. ("A Girl Like Me") Amy is working in an office and has a brief relationship with the photocopy boy. She starts to do things because she wants to, not because her parents like it, such as joining the young labour party. Kerry is still her outgoing self and is a good influence on Amy.

After a big night on the town we see Kerry at a café that Chris works at. He asks about Amy and she tells him that she always liked him. Amy turns up and she talks to Chris about how he's behaving. She's worried about him, but he is too angry to care. ("As Night Descends")

Sue is going through chemotherapy and is not strong enough to go to Chris's graduation, so Jo goes in her place. The first signs that Sue isn't coping with her illness start to come through. ("Dignity")

After another bust up with his grandmother he goes to Amy's apartment and tells her that he misses her. ("The Best Thing")

Kerry asks Jo how Sue is doing and what it's like to be a mother. ("Love Is") This is when we find out that Kerry has had an abortion, which is why she left home and why she thinks her family don't love her anymore. Kerry gets an amazing job as a personal assistant to a music company head, but is reluctant to take it. With a little convincing from Jo and Amy she jumps at the opportunity, even though it means going to Spain. She takes a leap of faith and organises to spend a week home with her family, who are excited to see her. Meanwhile, Sue's cancer has spread.

The story ends with Chris, Jo and Sue having a picnic together. Chris is finally getting back on track, but Sue is very ill. When Jo leaves to pack up the car Sue and Chris get some alone time and they talk about how scared they are and she talks about how she would like to be remembered. ("Invitation")^[7]

Notes

In earlier versions of the show, "Yes, I Know" was written for the characters of Amy, Jo and Kerry to sing together but by the time the show premiered in Adelaide in 2009, it was a solo performance by Amy only. The reprise of "Never Going to End" takes the place of another song, "Say the Word" – a much angrier break-up song. "Love Is", "How's Life", "The Best Thing" and a song titled "Someone Else" first appeared as part of the show for the October 2007 reading. Early versions of "The Best Thing" refer back to the song "Say the Word". Those references are now gone. "Someone Else" was eventually replaced by "As Night Descends" – a song for Chris in a similar vein and written during development of the STCSA season. Finally, the order of some of the songs in the second act was changed in preparation for the World Premiere Season in Adelaide – reflected in the list above.

Three other songs composed for earlier versions of Metro Street – "Kerry's Land", "Just Say" and "Late Again" – will be part of Robinson's upcoming song cycle, Sing on Through Tomorrow.

Notes

In a recent presentation of Matthew Lee Robinson's music at Chapel Off Chapel in Melbourne, which featured a selection of songs from Robinson's career, a number of Metro Street songs were performed: the title track by Robinson, "The Girl Next Door" by Verity Hunt-Ballard, "As Night Descends" by Robinson, "A Girl Like Me" by Ballard and Rosemarie Harris, "Dignity" by Robyn Arthur and "My Hands" by Robinson, Ballard, Harris and Arthur.