In 1970 young, newlyweds from Britain, Ann and Nigel Booth moved to the west coast of Canada.
They began a family and in 1970 rented a home in the 2000-block of Deep Cove Road, where their son was born. They bought a house in 1973 and moved into their first home right in Deep Cove.
They settled into the sleepy little community, raising their kids Russell and Gillian. Nigel specialized in engine brakes for trucks and was quickly hired upon their arrival by Pacific Diesel Brake. He worked at Pacific Diesel Brake for 28 years at which time he semi retired. Nigel’s love of sailing saw him enter into partnership at McGregor Sailboats where he both sold and taught operation of the boats. As well, Nigel who loves technical detail, is a superb photographer who has created photos going from times of darkrooms through to current digital.
Meanwhile, Ann became involved with a new theatre group, Deep Cove Stage Society (DCSS) in 1979. It had leased the old Deep Cove Community Hall just a few blocks from her home. With that group Ann took part in all aspects of putting on a show: acting, directing, technical work, producing, publicity as well as gathering props and costumes. But it was set designing that became her true love, and over the years, she reckons she averaged designing two to four sets per year.
Ann designed the set for Deep Cove Stage’s first pantomime, Cinderella, in 1981 (both her kids found themselves in that one). She designed, built and painted sets for countless pantos over the years and after 30 years she once again designed the set for Cinderella, which celebrated that anniversary. She designed sets for dramas and comedies and many of Deep Cove Stage’s North Shore Zone Festival entries. She won the award for best set design many times and also was part of a best overall design awards that include set, lighting and sound.
The North Shore has a strong, tightly knit theatre community and as part of that Ann was the recipient of the Don Marsh Award in 1988. The award is given at the North Shore Zone Festival in recognition of an individual or group who promotes harmony among the groups of the North Shore Zone. When DCSS entries won the local zone festival and went on to the provincial finals, Ann won awards for set designs for shows including Look Back in Anger and The Diviners. Ann was recipient of Theatre BC’s most prestigious award in 2012. The Eric Hamber Award is given to a person, group or institution having made an outstanding contribution to community theatre in British Columbia over a long period.
In 1987, DCSS lost its lease at the Community Hall. The Mount Seymour Lions had purchased the property to build its Lions Manor housing for seniors. Deep Cove Stage was now homeless, but the Lions donated $60,000 seed money for them to find a new home.
It was Ann who came up with the idea of getting other local groups involved to raise money to build a bigger, better facility that could be shared by all.
DCSS members were onboard with the idea and Deep Cove’s First Impressions Theatre (which, since 1983 had been renting venues), Seymour Art Gallery (which had wall space at Seycove School) and Deep Cove Heritage (which had a filing cabinet at Seycove) were all invited to be a part. Chamber Soloists leant their name to the project. All the groups began fundraising and now, 24 years later, all are still in their home.
Asking about her process, Ann says over the years looking at her sets and sets by others, she has learned what works and what doesn’t. She said, “When I start planning a set, it is usually sparked by an initial inspiration. Then working on that idea I will elaborate on it but find I will then start paring it down closer to that original inspiration.”
I asked which was the trickiest set to design and she replied that in general it is working out some of the scene changes in pantomimes. Her favourite set designs were for Dangerous Liaisons and Death and the Maiden.
The most challenging and rewarding was Dangerous Liaisons for which as well as designing the set, she directed with Martin Millerchip as her dramaturge and Jenny Ashton designing costumes.
Ann wasn’t always volunteering at the theatre those years she was raising her family. She also worked for many years at Pavlik Travel in the Cove and now works at a naturopathic clinic in North Vancouver.
After 45 years in the Cove, Ann and Nigel decided it was time to find a new sleepy community to make their home. While walking down the road near her new coastal home, she was stopped by a woman who said “I know you, my three kids were in the Deep Cove pantomime in 1992.” Ann plans to pursue her oil painting in her new studio after years of working with Dene Croft Studio in North Vancouver. Nigel is already setting up his new workshop.
Ann says she will miss her morning walk in Panorama Park, especially her former neighbour Ann (they became known as the Two Anns) and regulars nearly every morning at around 8 a.m. Ann has agreed to design the set for the 2016 panto, Captain Hook’s Revenge. Ann has added much to the Seymour area over the years and although this set builder of community theatre has moved along, the stage remains and she will continue to be a part of it.
