Never Closer brings an acclaimed contemporary play to Canberra

Posted on 26 January, 2026

An award-winning contemporary play exploring friendship, identity and the lasting impact of political conflict will make its ACT debut this February, when Never Closer arrives at the Canberra Theatre Centre.

Centring on Deirdre – a young woman caught between arguments, nations and the lives she almost lived – Never Closer is set in Northern Ireland against the backdrop of The Troubles, the ethno-nationalist conflict that shaped everyday life for decades.

Written by Grace Chapple and presented by Off the Ledge Theatre, the play is a drama of home, friendship, the decision to leave or stay, and the possibility of forgiveness.

It’s 1987, and Deirdre’s old school friends gather in her kitchen on Christmas Eve for the first time in 10 years. What begins as a familiar reunion soon reveals the differences that have grown between them – shaped by time, choices and the lives they’ve built apart.

As the evening unfolds, tensions rise, pushing to the surface a powder keg waiting for the tiniest spark. Then one of them arrives with a surprise fiancé. The problem? He’s English.

Director Lachlan Houen says the play examines ordinary lives with extraordinary care and believes it will resonate strongly with Canberra audiences.

“When I first read this play, I was struck by how familiar it felt,” he says. “Despite being set in another time and place, its characters and conflicts mirrored people I know and questions I’ve asked.

“I found myself laughing along with the banter and feeling the acute longing for connection they’re all striving for. As humans, we want to belong – and it’s no different for the characters in this play.”

Never Closer first premiered in 2022 as part of Belvoir St Theatre’s 25A Season, before transferring to its mainstage in 2024 – an uncommon progression that reflects the strength of the writing and its reception.

The cast features emerging performers returning to Canberra after training interstate and overseas, including Emily O’Mahoney as Deirdre, alongside Nick Bisa, Breanna Kelly, Joel Hrbek, Pippin Carroll and Natasha Lyall. The Canberra production marks the play’s first outing in the ACT, staged in an intimate setting that suits its conversational, character-driven style.

Lachlan says he was ecstatic to receive approval to produce the play in Canberra.

“It’s exactly the kind of work Off the Ledge strives to do,” he explains. “To interrogate the reasons for our existence, to puncture the heart of what makes ordinary lives extraordinary, and to tell stories that speak to an integral part of who we are.”

Running for two weeks in the Courtyard Studio, this sharp, darkly funny and haunting Australian play offers local audiences the chance to experience a contemporary work that continues to resonate well beyond its setting.

Photography: Caitlin Baker.