A powerful new play which links Portaferry in Co Down to Port Fairy in Victoria, Australia is set to make its international debut at Australia’s prestigious National Celtic Festival this weekend.
Titled Never, Always, Ever Was, the work is a cross-continental co-production led by Northern Ireland’s c21 Theatre Company and Australian playwright Fleur Murphy.
Supported by the British Council’s Connections Through Culture grants, the play draws parallels between Northern Ireland and Australia’s coastal communities – exploring how climate change is transforming small shoreline areas across time and place.
Spanning from the 1990s to the 2040s, Never Always Ever Was tells the story of Danny, a young man from Belfast yearning to break free from the limitations of home, and Julia, a recent university graduate returning to Port Fairy, Australia, with a fierce determination to make an impact in environmental conservation. Their chance meeting on New Year’s Eve, 1989, in a small-town pub sets off a ripple effect across generations, exploring how love, migration, identity, and climate intertwine over time.
Speaking about the production was Stephen Kelly, c21’s Creative Director. He said: “The play moves across four time zones, showing how generations have experienced change and asks crucial questions: In 2025, for example, is it too late to act on climate change? Are people still willing to try? And what might life look like in 2048 if we do - or don’t - act?”
He continued: “Throughout the development of the play, we uncovered some remarkable connections between the two countries — real golden nuggets that brought the story to life. I was lucky enough to pay a visit to Port Fairy in Australia and believe it or not, it used to be called Belfast – and it’s on a coastline like Portaferry.
“Fleur also did some research with both communities – speaking to local residents and groups in Portaferry, as well as holding Zoom sessions - to understand how their shorelines have changed over the past 40 to 50 years. What emerged was a lot of similarities between both places.”
The show is being presented at the National Celtic Festival as a work-in-progress performance with two public readings at the festival, followed by a discussion with audiences on Sunday, 8 June. These early performances are part of a longer development journey, with an aim to bring the production back to Northern Ireland for a full staging in the future.
Stephen said: “We’d love to bring the production back to Northern Ireland and tour it across other coastal communities and places that are already facing the realities of climate change. It feels like a really timely piece. There’s a big Northern Irish community around the festival, and I think the story will resonate strongly with them. It touches on migration, memory, and the environment – all deeply relevant themes for both places.”
The play is one of several projects in Northern Ireland supported by the British Council’s Connections Through Culture grants, which fosters artistic collaboration between the UK and selected countries in Asia and Europe. Other projects include Belfast’s Seedhead Arts collaborating with Chai Mai Street Art festival in Thailand and Derry/Londonderry’s Void Art Centre partnering with the Jatiwangi Art Factory in Indonesia.
A new funding call for 2025 is currently open, offering grants of up to £10,000 to support international partnerships with 19 countries – Northern Ireland artists and arts organisations have until Monday, 23 June to apply.
Speaking about the Connections Through Culture grants, Jonathan Stewart, Director, British Council Northern Ireland said: “Never, Always, Ever Was beautifully demonstrates the power of international collaboration to tell deeply local stories with global relevance. Through the voices of coastal communities in Northern Ireland and Australia, this production explores how place, memory and identity are being reshaped by climate change - one of the defining challenges of our time.
“We’re proud to support this kind of work through our Connections Through Culture programme, which continues to foster long-term artistic partnerships across borders. With the current funding call open, we encourage Northern Ireland’s artists and organisations to take this opportunity to build new global connections.”
To find out more about the Connections Through Culture grants visit: https://arts.britishcouncil.org/get-involved/opportunities/connections-t...
Applications for Connections Through Culture grants will close on Monday, 23 June 2025.
The Connections Through Culture grants continue the British Council’s work to foster connection, understanding, and trust between the UK and the world through education, arts, and English language teaching. To find out more about British Council Northern Ireland’s work in Northern Ireland, visit or follow on X, Facebook, or Instagram.