What happens to a town when Britain talks most about artists leaving an unannounced picture on the garage wall?

The seasonal greetings of anonymous artist Banksy appeared in Port Talbot in December 2018 just days before Christmas, prompting visitors to rush to expand the rear driveway, where comments on the town’s famous steel industry now reside.

The painting passes through the two walls at right angles, showing a boy playing happily in the decline of snow - but turn, the audience sees "snow" actually ashes fall from the fire burning in the trash can, echoing the larger smoke emitted by the day and night of the steel factory.

Now, the event and the broader story of the town’s fate have become a drama in Port Talbot Banksy, which is based entirely on the town’s response.

South Wales-based playwright Tracy Harris and Paul Jenkins have used the same word-by-word speaking technique to work together on a previous project, a time when gathered from the young people they designed and are looking for another gig idea.

When they heard about Banksy and went to visit, an accidental conversation with a director who said “someone should write one of the light bulb moments for Paul, “the material is probably right.”

However, none of them expected that the original plan as a plan to capture the reaction to a single event would grow into six years of love labor, documenting a 100-year lifestyle in a working-class community.

Paul talks about the season’s greetings: “It’s a beautiful work of art and we realize that the people in Port Talbert also recognize that they like it very much and very much, and bring it into their hearts.”

"We're on the website every day, talking and listening to the community's perception of Banks, feeling and responding to Banks, their perception of its theme, pollution, steel mills. It all started there."

A version of the show may have happened early, but then "Covid happened."

"Then, through luck or genius, the story continues to evolve," Tracy said.

There are twists and turns of the artwork itself - first being secured on site, then purchased by British art collectors, exhibited in town, and promised that it will always be there.

This did not happen, and the work finally moved it to an undisclosed location in England in February 2022.

But another story weaving on Banksy is devastating news that most people’s lifelong steel production will end.

It wasn't until September 2024 when Tracy and Paul finally decided to stop interviewing and design the drama that Tracy and Paul finally shut down the explosion furnace.

Over six years, the pair collected over 100 hours of recordings, which they managed to boil down to two hours of competition.

"Now, that makes it a universal story, much bigger than we originally thought," Tracy said.

Paul added: “When we started, we thought it would be a story about Banks, the first Banks in Wales and the perception of it.

“But, of course, this focuses more on Banks’ themes, bringing attention to the pollution of steel plants, and of course, when the threat to steel plants (occurres) it becomes more firmly a tougher portrait of the community and its resilience.

“They were given to Banks on Christmas – and that was taken from them.

"So, this terrible sense of uncertainty hung around the town. Pollution, the theme Banks emphasized has disappeared, but at the cost of thousands of work in the town."

Every word said on the stage is an absolute copy of the words used by real people. Over the years, six actors represent Tracy’s man, Paul and many other voices have returned time and time again.

Even their lines were not learned, but were delivered directly to the actors through headphones.

The story is told in chronological order, but from a variety of different perspectives, news coverage and headlines add some news coverage to help viewers stay up to date with the latest developments when necessary.

One of the people represented in the show was a steel mill who started spraying paint, highlighting a transformation that took place in the town, even if it faced the consequences of losing its industrial heritage.

Tracy said: “Port Talbert suddenly became the street art capital of Wales. Although it was a sad story, it was also a story of hope because (the people) did rebound.

“They decided to make the town a colorful town and started spraying the paint everywhere.”

Paul added: “Banks’ legacy now has an incredible street art world. So many local artists, so many walls covered with color and amazing art.”

"The color of the town has changed. It has changed from a gray industrial town where the sky is full of smoke and turns into a truly colorful town."

Researching for scripts helped make voices for people who “usually have no say in what happens,” but it also reveals widely to talent in Port Talbert art.

"The play is seen from a community perspective, seeing it from all the sounds you usually never hear, who will never have the opportunity to tell their story, and how important the art means to them and how important it is to their town," Tracy said.

“Sometimes they describe it so poetic.”

Paul said that at some point when the process of their assumption began, they would have to use some line writing to blend the story's work together, but found that their respondents did it naturally for them.

He said: "The people of Port Talbert are incredible storytellers. I don't know what this is - it's probably a matter of Wales, definitely a matter of Port Talbert - they're very good at telling their own stories."

Tracy Chips: "We can't ask them to say anything better. It's almost like you can't write sometimes.

Port Talbot Gotta Banksy is on May 2-10 at the Sherman Theatre in Cardiff and then tours Port Talbot, Swansea, Milford Haven and Wrexham.