Mum? Hello? I'm calling from the future...
A sweeping, multigenerational story, Never Always Ever Was spans time from the 1960s to the 2040s, weaving together the lives of Danny, a restless young man from Belfast determined to escape the monotony of home in search of purpose and adventure, and Julia, a recent university graduate from Port Fairy who has returned home to find a way to turn her passion for environmental conservation into meaningful action. Their fateful meeting on New Year’s Eve in 1989, at a small-town pub, sets the stage for an exploration of identity, home, and the far-reaching ripple effects of the choices we make.
This dynamic two-hander showcases the extraordinary talents of Amanda LaBonté and Tom Royce-Hampton, who embody a rich tapestry of interconnected characters across generations. Incorporating elements of song, the work culminates in a shared and deeply moving experience between the performers and the audience. Through the intertwined stories of Danny, Julia, their ancestors, and their descendants, Never Always Ever Was delves into the environmental challenges facing coastal towns, reflecting on the legacies we leave behind in a rapidly changing world. Poignant, poetic, and urgent, it illuminates the intimate and universal impacts of climate change on the places we call home and the futures we strive to protect.
Never Always Ever Was is currently being developed by Australian playwright Fleur Murphy in collaboration with Northern Ireland-based theatre company c21 Theatre and the National Celtic Folk Festival. This exciting new project has been made possible through the generous support of the British Council’s Connections Through Culture grant, which has facilitated a unique cross-cultural partnership and creative exchange.
This dynamic two-hander showcases the extraordinary talents of Amanda LaBonté and Tom Royce-Hampton, who embody a rich tapestry of interconnected characters across generations. Incorporating elements of song, the work culminates in a shared and deeply moving experience between the performers and the audience. Through the intertwined stories of Danny, Julia, their ancestors, and their descendants, Never Always Ever Was delves into the environmental challenges facing coastal towns, reflecting on the legacies we leave behind in a rapidly changing world. Poignant, poetic, and urgent, it illuminates the intimate and universal impacts of climate change on the places we call home and the futures we strive to protect.
Never Always Ever Was is currently being developed by Australian playwright Fleur Murphy in collaboration with Northern Ireland-based theatre company c21 Theatre and the National Celtic Folk Festival. This exciting new project has been made possible through the generous support of the British Council’s Connections Through Culture grant, which has facilitated a unique cross-cultural partnership and creative exchange.
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Rehearsal images with artists: Fleur Murphy, Stephen Kelly, Amanda LaBonte and Tom Royce-Hampton
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The work is currently in development
An excerpt was presented at the National Celtic Folk Festival in June 2025 with the following creatives involved: Written by: Fleur Murphy Directed by: Stephen Kelly Performed by: Amanda LaBonté & Tom Royce-Hampton Dramaturg: Hanna Slättne |
Audience feedback:
That was fantastic!
It was really hopeful, and we need that.
The words, the writing, it’s very very powerful.
It’s really good. The language is absolutely beautiful, it’s lyrical and it’s very visual. It’s a beautiful piece… beautifully written.
I found the story so powerful. I was born in Belfast and met my husband in 1989. I was crying – our son is a journalist. We do worry, we live in Melbourne, but we have a house here in Portarlington and we worry about the seafront… It’s like it was a play written for me… I think it speaks to so many people's experience. It was extraordinary, thank you, it’s been a privilege.
I really loved the heart of it, and I really love the authenticity of the characters and they didn’t go into stereotype, they stayed real – and that’s very very hard to do particularly when you're trying to underpin a topic like climate change as there can be a temptation to hammer it home… my own preference for theatre is something with more heart – and I loved it, for that reason.
That was a beautiful reading and a beautiful piece of writing... I felt like the way you wrapped the issue in real people, that’s the hope... it’s a really beautiful work and I think it’s a really poetic and moving way to engage people in the idea of climate change.
That was fantastic!
It was really hopeful, and we need that.
The words, the writing, it’s very very powerful.
It’s really good. The language is absolutely beautiful, it’s lyrical and it’s very visual. It’s a beautiful piece… beautifully written.
I found the story so powerful. I was born in Belfast and met my husband in 1989. I was crying – our son is a journalist. We do worry, we live in Melbourne, but we have a house here in Portarlington and we worry about the seafront… It’s like it was a play written for me… I think it speaks to so many people's experience. It was extraordinary, thank you, it’s been a privilege.
I really loved the heart of it, and I really love the authenticity of the characters and they didn’t go into stereotype, they stayed real – and that’s very very hard to do particularly when you're trying to underpin a topic like climate change as there can be a temptation to hammer it home… my own preference for theatre is something with more heart – and I loved it, for that reason.
That was a beautiful reading and a beautiful piece of writing... I felt like the way you wrapped the issue in real people, that’s the hope... it’s a really beautiful work and I think it’s a really poetic and moving way to engage people in the idea of climate change.
Visit c21 Theatre Company's website at: www.c21theatrecompany.com
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