GREEN CARNATION COMPANY, TELLING QUEER STORIES THROUGH QUALITY THEATRE.
We are a Manchester based theatre company dedicated to producing high-quality professional theatrical productions and digital work that explore queer experiences, ideas and stories. We work with existing scripts and new queer writers to create something a bit exciting. Green Carnation Company was set up by Dan Jarvis and Dan Ellis in 2018 following an Instagram post, some pints and an excitement to start creating theatre together.
In all of our projects and productions we seek to:
Produce quality-driven, professional theatrical productions in Manchester and across the UK.
Tell interesting, relevant and original stories.
Start discussion and conversations by engaging and empowering both queer and non-queer audiences.
Develop a sustainable theatre model and committing to fair pay across our teams.
We are committed to both producing and developing new writing and staging and responding to established plays.
Projects include the 2018 sell-out success of The Pride at Hope Mill Theatre; our participation in the new queer writing festival OutStageUs2019 with FLUID by Nick Maynard; our first mid-scale theatre tour of Kevin Elyot’s My Night with Reg to The Lowry, Hull Truck Theatre, Lawrence Batley Theatre, Warwick Arts Centre and Durham Gala; and our Queer All About It series of monologues exploring LGBTQ+ topics, culminating in a live screening event with Turn on Fest at Hope Mill Theatre.
‘The Dans’
Co-founders Dan Ellis and Dan Jarvis work together to co-direct and co-produce their productions, believing that collaboration leads to more ideas, more creativity and a creating a shared vision. It’s also less scary.
Dan Jarvis (he/him), Co-Artistic Director
Dan Jarvis has over 10 years experience directing and devising theatre, with a particular focus on working with new writing, devising and cabaret performances.
This has included commissioned site-specific performance ‘A Very Victorian Scandal’ for LGBT History Month, R&D for full length plays ‘Finding Alice’ by Emma Hinds and ‘The Naturalists’ by Jaki McCarrick, a regular collaborator with Manchester ADP and consultant director for award-winning new play ‘A Quick Guide to Ruining Your Life’ by Laura Harper.
He has undertaken dramaturg training with Young Vic with Sasha Wares as part of RTYDS and in 2021 worked as a script reader for Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse, receiving mentorship from Dr Frank Peschier.
Dan Jarvis was also lead director for Green Carnation’s debut production of ‘The Pride’ by Alexi Kaye Campbell.
He has also completed a Masters degree in Contemporary Literature and Culture at the University of Manchester, specialising in queer theatre and narratives.
Dan has worked in arts and culture marketing and audience development for 10 years (most recently as Marketing & Comms Manager roles at The Lowry and Manchester Jewish Museum) and has most recently taken a new position as a relationship manager for audiences and engagement at Arts Council England in 2022.
Dan Ellis (he/they), Co-Artistic Director
Dan Ellis graduated from Liverpool John Moores University in 2011 with a degree in Drama. Since then he has continued to perform in and direct productions across the North West and Wales alongside having worked as a Drama teacher with theatretrain.
Dan Ellis has previously produced and co-directed previous Green Carnation productions: Kevin Elyot’s ‘My Night with Reg’ 2020 tour, Alexi Kaye Campbell’s ‘The Pride’, and was lead director for ‘FLUID’ by Nick Maynard as part of OutStageUs 2019.
Theatre highlights as both actor and director include: ‘Fluid’ (The Lowry), ‘The Pride’ (Hope Mill Theatre), ‘Whipping It Up’ (Forum Studio Theatre), ‘The Laramie Project’ (Forum Studio Theatre), ‘The History Boys’ (Altrincham Garrick), ‘Aladdin’ (Forum Studio Theatre), ‘Oliver!’ (Theatre Clwyd), ‘Equus’ (Forum Studio Theatre).
Television highlights as an actor: ‘Coronation Street’ (ITV), ‘Hollyoaks’ (Lime Pictures), ‘Scott & Bailey’ (Red Productions), ‘The Worst Witch’ (CBBC Productions).
He is also an experienced and passionate pantomime performer with over 10 years experience, having most recently received rave reviews at Altrincham Garrick as Smee in their 2021 production of Peter Pan.
Green Carnation Company 