Ridley’s powerful script is set in London’s East End at the turn of the millennium as two connected souls meet for the first time, with devastating consequences. The play addresses complex themes of shame, desire, grief and homophobic hate crime. Though set in 2000, the play feels more relevant than ever as the number of homophobic hate crime reports has doubled in the last five years.
Explaining the reasons for choosing ‘Vincent River’ as Green Carnation’s comeback production, co-director Dan Jarvis said: “We tell queer stories through quality theatre. And there’s something so urgent – vital even – about Philip Ridley’s writing that made us think this had to be our next play. Grief, homophobia, shame… ‘Vincent River’ addresses these unflinchingly. We live in uncertain times and this play speaks to them.”
The play will also mark Green Carnation’s return to Hope Mill Theatre, the venue where their journey began. Hope Mill Theatre is Manchester’s beloved independent theatre venue, producing and programming top quality musicals, dramas and spoken word within the venue’s signature intimate atmosphere where audiences are a hair’s breadth away from the performer. Founded by partners Joe Houston and William Whelton in 2015, Hope Mill hit the national spotlight in 2022, winning WhatsOnStage’s ‘Best Regional Production’ with their production of Jonathan Larson’s ‘RENT’.
Green Carnation began its life in 2018 when it was founded by Manchester based co-directors Dan Ellis and Dan Jarvis (aka ‘The Dans’) to produce Alexi Kaye Campbell’s time-travelling drama ‘The Pride’ at Hope Mill Theatre. The company is named after the green carnation Oscar Wilde wore in his lapel as a secret symbol of his homosexuality to those who shared his sexuality. In 2020 Green Carnation took Kevin Elyot’s ‘My Night with Reg’ on a tour, opening to sold-out crowds at The Lowry, Salford before taking off to Hull, Huddersfield, Durham and Coventry until COVID cut the tour short. Thanks to funding from Arts Council England and the National Lottery the company was able to weather the storm of the pandemic, and even commissioned 5 new monologues by emerging LGBTQ+ writers that were filmed as part of their ‘Queer All About It’ programme.
Joseph Houston, Director and co-founder of Hope Mill Theatre is more than happy to welcome Green Carnation back to the theatre: “We are thrilled to have Green Carnation back with us. In 2018 they had their debut production of ‘The Pride’ which sold out and received great reviews from audiences and critics. We worked with them again on TurnOnFest, our annual LGBTQ+ festival, with a selection of monologues shining a light on diverse queer stories. They are an incredibly exciting, grass roots LGBTQ+ company who are making great strides in Manchester and beyond and we are thrilled to welcome them back this year with ‘Vincent River’.”
Details and tickets https://hopemilltheatre.co.uk/events/vincent-river
