Written by Staff Blogger Vicky
We've all had at least one moment in our lives where we've experienced something so incredible that we are forever changed.
For me - a lil' nine-year-old South Shore bébé - one of those unforgettable moments happened in the spring of 1994.
My parents had traveled to Halifax to see a show at Neptune Theatre - a rare treat for the working parents of two grade-school kids. When they returned, they said they were so enthralled by the performance that they were going again, and they were taking me and my brother with them.
What was the show, you ask?
Les Misérables, the famed musical based on Victor Hugo's acclaimed 1862 novel.
I remember sitting in the theatre and being overwhelmed. I laughed as the Thénardiers joyfully robbed the patrons at their inn. I cried when Fantine sold her hair and when Éponine died on the barricade. My mouth hung open as Javert leapt from a bridge over the Seine and the bridge itself rose into the ceiling of the theatre to simulate the distance of the fall.
The Neptune Theatre production was directed by Linda Moore, the music fell under the guidance of Derek Bate, and the choreography was arranged by Andrea Leigh-Smith. Frank MacKay, Thomas Goerz, Charlotte Moore, Claire Rankin, P. Robert Hughes, and Shelly Clarke were just a few of the cast members that pulled my small heart clear from my chest. I did not know their names then, I could not find these people in a crowd now, but their performances, their voices, their command of the stage stuck with me and made me fundamentally different.
That is the power of theatre.
In the spring of 2027 - some 33 years since my original viewing - Neptune Theatre will once again be bringing Les Misérables to their main stage. On hearing this, the memories of my childhood experience came flooding back, and I could not help but wonder how we got so lucky to have this gem in our own backyard.
No Stranger to the Stage
The Strand Theatre
Picture it: Halifax, 1915.
The Strand Theatre, designed by local and renowned architect Andrew Cobb, opened its doors at 56-58 Sackville Street. From the beginning, the doors opened to much acclaim: "Halifax has a new theatre and one of which citizens may feel justifiable pride and warranted satisfaction. The Strand was opened on Saturday, and three thousand people had the pleasure of seeing it and of enjoying the splendid program of the photoplay "The Goddess" and five vaudeville acts of superior excellence" (Evening Mail, October 23, 1915, pg. 1). The Strand was praised for both its atmosphere and its acoustics: "There is an atmosphere of luxury about it no less than a feeling of cozy, home-like comfort. The acoustics at the Strand proved to be admirable, every word being heard with distinctness, no matter in what part of the house - whether near the stage or far back on the main floor or at the rear of the balcony." The seven-piece orchestra was also given high praise (with a special shoutout to their "lady drummer"), as well as the air quality in the building. Over the next 10 years, The Strand Theatre hosted vaudeville acts, comedians, film reels, dancers, burlesque shows, and more.
The Strand advertised itself as "Absolutely Fireproof," and perhaps in the case of its fireproof film magazine that statement was true. However, the rest of The Strand was not.
On June 13, 1926, smoke and flames tore through The Strand. The fire was said to have started in the balcony on the Argyle Street side of the building. Firefighters had difficulty fighting the flames due to the intense smoke: "Robert Roppell, hoseman, Brunswick Street, told of the difficulties in getting lines to bear on the flames due to the unusually heavy smoke. He thought that possibly the veneer on the chairs might cause the density of the smoke. He had been carried out after being overcome," (Evening Mail, June 22, 1926, pg. 10). Despite the difficulties, Halifax Firemen were able to put out the blaze. Fire Marshal Major J. A. Rudland then conducted an inquiry into how the fire had started.
Stanley Simons, an usher at the theatre, stated he had been working the balcony the evening before the fire. Following the night's show, Stanley had taken his flashlight and carefully checked under the balcony seats for anything left behind by patrons: "He said he was the last one to leave the gallery, having had to put all the seats up before leaving for the night. He had not noticed if the shutters in the moving picture machine booth had been closed. He was sure that all the lights had been out when he had left" (Evening Mail, June 22, 1926, pg. 10).
Herman H. McArthur, the moving picture operator, stated that he had been in the film booth that night. He had left a film in the fireproof magazine, but the flames were so strong the film was destroyed simply from the heat: "He suggested that the fire shutters of the booth had been red hot. No flames had been in the booth, but situated as it was at the top of the theatre, all of the heat would be carried there... There could have been no flame from the film..." (Evening Mail, June 22, 1926, pg. 10).
Harry Putnam, another employee of The Strand, stated he had gone into the theatre on the night of the blaze at around 6:30pm. He thought that perhaps a cigarette had caused the fire.
James Morrison, The Strand's stage manager, as well as his brother Arthur had visited the theatre that Sunday, even though James was not scheduled to work. James reported that he frequently stopped in to check on the theatre even when he wasn't on the clock. After the men had left for the evening around 5pm, Arthur had seen a police officer going up the hill to see where the smoke was coming from. It was Arthur who then went to the Grafton Street fire station to alert them of the fire.
After speaking with the persons involved, Major Rudland could not determine the exact cause of the fire.
Following the fire, The Strand was repaired and got on with the show(s).
But by June 11, 1928, the local newspaper the Evening Mail was no longer praising the Strand Theatre for its productions. They were saying "Long live the new Garrick" (July 11, 1928, pg. 3).
The Garrick Repertory Theatre
Having changed ownership over the previous year, the Strand Theatre officially closed. The building underwent yet another renovation:
Carpenters, etc. will be followed in turn by decorators who will work their art to good effect and make the interior of the building as attractive to the eye as any east of Montreal and, in fact, equally pleasing as the majority in the largest cities of the continent, for color, harmony, combined with careful selection, will make for acceptable decorations. The new Garrick promises to fill a long felt want in the local theatre world.
Evening Mail, July 11, 1928, pg. 3
The building was also renamed the Garrick Repertory Theatre. The name Garrick is a reference to British actor David Garrick, a star of the stage from the mid-1700s. The Sackville Street theatre was not the first to bear the name. Garrick was a popular name for theatres across Britain and North America, including London, Winnipeg, Detroit, and Bonavista. A repertory theatre refers to a system for putting on plays that involves an in-house theatre company having a series of plays that are always ready to be performed (Encyclopedia Britannica).
On July 9, 1928 the Garrick Repertory Theatre opened.
Halifax's Garrick Theatre was described as especially comfortable, particularly for the summer months as they had installed modern electric fans to circulate the air. It offered a smoking lounge for the gentlemen and deep couches in the restrooms for the women. The building was described as 'artistic throughout' (Evening Mail, July 9, 1928, pg. 17). The Evening Mail complimented the staff of the Garrick stating "Manager O'Connell is to be heartily congratulated upon the appearance of the interior of the new Garrick, the decorations and drapery, particularly in the boxes, blending into a harmonious whole, that is entirely pleasing to the eye. Everything is done for the comfort of Garrick patrons" (Evening Mail, July 9, 1928, pg. 17).
The opening of the theatre was a grand affair. Lieutenant Governor J. C. Tory was among the distinguished guests present for the theatre's first play, a mystery by Eleanor Robson and Harriet Ford titled In the Next Room, starring popular English actress Florence Glossop-Harris: "By their applause, both of play and players, the audience demonstrated their complete approval of the introductory offering of the Florence Glossop-Harris Company. By favourable, indeed enthusiastic comment, to be heard on all sides, it could be learned that this approval extended to the theatre itself" (Halifax Herald, July 10, 1928, pg. 16). Both the show and the theatre were a hit, but tragically the success was to be short lived.
The 1920s was a time of prosperity in North America. Share and stock rates were impressively high. New technologies brought with them new jobs and good wages, so people invested their extra savings back into the market. Loans were easy to come by, and many used those loans to reinvest in the stock market.
On October 24, 1929, the New York Stock Exchange experienced a decline in trade like never before. Set in motion by a drop in the commodity pricing, a record 12.8 million shares were sold from the Exchange. Five days later, 16.4 million shares were sold as panic swept across the United States. The result of these sales was that within a few days, companies that were once worth millions were reduced to a value of basically nothing. In Canada, the Toronto and Montréal Stock Exchanges took similar blows:
Horrified investors clogged the financial districts, while employees in the exchanges and the brokerage houses worked themselves to near-collapse in an attempt to corral the paperwork. The "Canadian Annual Review of Public Affairs" reckoned that "never before the 1929 crash had amounts that ran into billions of dollars been lost on the Canadian Stock Exchanges in so brief a period of time." In Montréal, some 500,000 shares were sold (5 times the usual amount); in Toronto, 330,000 were sold (13 times the usual).
Canadian Encyclopedia
Trading stopped. The market halted. Savings disappeared. The money was just gone.
This Stock Market Crash became the catalyst for the Great Depression, an economic downturn that plagued both the United States and Canada for more than a decade. By 1933, 30% of the labour force in Canada was unemployed, and one in five Canadians depended on government relief to make ends meet (Canadian Encyclopedia). The Great Depression did not begin to right itself until 1939 with the outbreak of the Second World War.
The Stock Market Crash and the Great Depression took its toll on all facets of Canadian life. In order to survive, entertainment establishments like The Garrick Repertory Theatre would need to pivot.
The Garrick Movie Theatre (Odeon)
The problem with live theatre during the Great Depression was not that people were not interested in attending, but that it was expensive. Between 1929 and 1933, the average income of Canadians had dropped from $471 to $247 (Juno Beach Centre). Prices for a live show at The Garrick Repertory Theatre could cost anywhere from 75 cents to $2.00. It was an almost insurmountable expense, and yet, people wanted an escape from the sad state of their everyday lives. And so The Garrick Repertory Theatre made a decision to change focus and embrace moving pictures.
It is hard to realize, from the contemporary view of the 21st century, that when the traumas of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl hit America at the beginning of the 1930's decade, both Hollywood and radio were newcomers to the entertainment industry. Silent films had captured audiences in the early 1900s, but the first found movie, "The Jazz Singer", was not released until 1924. In fact, it was not until 1927 that sound movies began to dominate the industry.
The Kennedy Centre
In late December, 1929 the Generals Theatre Corporation (later Odeon Theatres of Canada) purchased the Garrick site. They closed the doors for a month long renovation to install an up-to-date Northern Electric Sound System "...which has proved itself the best possible for sound reproduction pictures" (Evening Mail, January 14, 1930, pg. 14). The new owners decided to keep the Garrick name and simply remove the word repertory, and they kept the stage, just in case the right live production came along. The staff of the theatre remained as well, with J. M. O'Connell continuing to lead the Garrick in his management role.
Films were the escape that Haligonians needed to get away from the hardship of their day to day lives. When it opened, tickets for movies showing at the Garrick ranged from 30 cents to 50 cents, less than half the price of a live show. In addition to the more economic price tag, the changeover of the Garrick couldn't have come at a better time: "Halifax has recently been somewhat handicapped by lack of theatre space, with the destruction of the old Majestic to make room for the new Capitol building, but with the opening of the Garrick under its new policy this situation will be considerably remedied..." (Evening Mail, January 14, 1930, pg. 14). The first film to run at the new Garrick was Hard to Get, staring Dorothy Mackaill.
The switch to movies was a smart one.
The Garrick outlasted the Great Depression; it entertained citizens and visitors alike throughout the war years; it brought films like Rock Hudson's The Lawless Breed (1953), Maureen O'Hara's The Black Swan (1955), and Richard Egan's The Voice in the Mirror (1958) to excited modern audiences throughout the 1950's.
But time eventually took its toll. The theatre slowly fell into disrepair: "It was the most horrible, dirty, miserable place you could possibly imagine... It had once been rococo, elaborate, gorgeous but they'd covered all that up. The plaster was damaged beyond hope" (Bruce, pg. 8). Not only was the building falling apart, but it had gained a negative reputation: "The Garrick was one of those grungy movie halls that nice mothers told their children were Off Limits" (Bruce, pg. 8). The Garrick likely had nothing but a wrecking ball in its future.
A Jumpstart for the Arts
In 1951, a report from the Royal Commission on National Development in the Arts, Letters, and Sciences (The Commission) - known as the Massey Report - painted a very grim picture of the cultural arts in Canada: "Professional theatre was 'moribund'; musical life was largely confined to church basements and school gymnasia; professional artistic ventures were few in number and almost non-existent outside the largest cities. In an entire year, English Canada produced only 14 works of fiction" (The Canadian Encyclopedia). In 1957, as a direct result of the Massey Report, the Canadian Federal Government established the Canada Council for the Encouragement of the Arts, Letters, Humanities and Social Sciences. (In 1978, this was shortened to the Canada Council for the Arts. For brevity, it will be referred to as the CCA going forward.) The CCA was supported by financial gifts from Sir James Dunn and Izaak Walton Killam. The intention of the CCA was to promote and develop Canada's cultural and intellectual life (The Canadian Encyclopedia). One of the mandates of the Council involved a focus on the growth of Canadian theatre.
Enter Leon Major.
Leon Major, a Toronto native, was a well known name in theatre. He studied music in both Toronto and in Europe before returning to Canada to become a stage director and a drama adjudicator. In 1960 he joined the Royal Conservatory of Music Opera School, and in 1961 joined the Stratford Festival and the Court Theatre in Toronto (Governor General of Canada). In 1959, Leon came to Halifax to adjudicate the regional finals of the Dominion Drama Festival, and he couldn't help but notice the passion participants had for theatre. When he approached his friend David Renton about the idea of forming a new theatre company in Halifax, David replied: "You're kidding... Halifax?" (Perkyns, pg. 11), but kidding he was not.
Upon returning to Toronto, Leon spoke with Peter Dwyer, a member of the CCA. Through the CCA, Peter was able to acquire funds for Leon to travel back to Halifax to research and outline the look and feel of a new repertory theatre. With help from Tom Patterson, the founder of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, and John (Jack) Gray, an experienced playwright, Leon compiled a document that highly favoured the establishment of a theatre in Halifax. This write-up was sent on to the CCA for consideration. What followed was some bureaucracy. The report led to a committee; the committee lead to a feasibility study, all of which took time. Despite the long wait the end result was positive: "everyone wants a theatre" (Perkyns, pg. 12).
Why Neptune?
The neat beginning, the beginning it is pleasant for The Neptune to talk about now, occurred in 1606 at the tiny French outpost of Port Royal over on the Fundy side of Nova Scotia. The governor was gone, the Indians were restive, the garrison was bored. The place was ripe for revolt. Marc Lescarbot, a man of letters, decided that what the place needed most was some sort of theatrical adventure to occupy idle minds and avert mutinous thought. He composed a masque, a pageant to welcome back the governor with song, dance and verse; and he put Port Royal to work on it. Lescarbot called the effect "the Theatre of Neptune" and, on November 14, 1606, when Governor Poutrincourt sailed into Port Royal, Neptune the sea god and his entire court floated out to greet him. They were in full regalia. Indians in canoes swarmed out with gifts, there was a lot of chanting and saluting with unsheathed swords, the mutiny was as dead as last summer, the show was a palpable hit.
Years later, Lescarbot was back in Paris, actually homesick for Nova Scotia, and he wrote, "Yet if it should come to pass that there should come a day among the mountains and brooks of Port Royal, that the Muses... grow more gentle... then, in their songs, let them remember me." The day came, more than 350 years later, and the Muses remembered Lescarbot in the name of a new Neptune Theatre.
Bruce, pg. 5
In July, 1962 the Neptune Theatre Foundation met for the first time. Andrew Murphy, a local surgeon and playwright, was elected president and Laird Fairn, a local architect, the vice-president. The intention of the board was to work quickly to have the theatre's first season open the following year. But the big question was this: where would the theatre live? In the early 1960s in Halifax there were only two sites with a pre-existing stage: the Capitol Theatre and the Garrick Theatre.
The Foundation set their sights on the Garrick, and began making inquiries about how to make it their own.
The initial negotiation with Odeon who owned the Garrick started with a lease at a cost of approximately $60,000. This would cover both a year-long lease and necessary renovations to the Garrick building. However, the board did not love the idea of investing so much money into a building that they did not own. Arthur Murray, Laird Fairn, and George Hawkins decided to approach local brewer Colonel Sidney Oland to see if he could be of any assistance. Colonel Oland was a very wealthy man, and was known to support many charitable endeavours throughout the city. In a meeting with Colonel Oland and his son, Victor, Colonel Oland stated "Victor, why don't we buy the bloody place?" (Bruce, pg 10). Less than a day later, at a cost of $100,000, it was done: "Within twenty-four hours a deal was struck, and Oland with several other prominent citizens guaranteed the mortgage on the asset through Canada Permanent Trust Company" (Perkyns, pg. 13). The theatre would have to pay nominal rent, but it had a home. A home that needed a lot of work.
Setting the Stage
"I don't think it had crossed anyone's mind the expense of a regional theatre" said Robert Doyle, the company's first costume designer (Perkyns, pg. 14).
There was the hiring of the crew. In addition to Robert Doyle, stage designer Les Lawrence was added to the team. Leon Major was appointed the first artistic director. Bob Dexter was the production manager. John and William Blackmore were hired to construct sets. Carpenters, electricians, painters, plasterers, the list went on and on, and that's to say nothing of the actors!
Laird Fairn's architectural firm took on the building renovations, with the hope of recapturing the building's original beauty: "Every attempt was made to refurbish and preserve the architecture: much of the former ornate rococo design was uncovered from layers of plaster; a fake ceiling was removed and the original high-arched ceiling restored" (Perkyns, pg. 14) .But even more than the cosmetic changes were the practical and the necessary. Additions were made to the basement, offices and storage rooms were added, a work room was built. The stage was made larger and stage-side balconies were added with detachable stairs. The seating in the balcony of the auditorium was completely replaced. To get the new 2,300 pound dimmer board installed, a wall had been knocked out near the roof to allow the board to be lifted in by crane. This caused traffic on Sackville Street to be stopped for more than an hour (Chronicle Herald, June 20, 1963, pg. 16). There were, of course, unexpected and dangerous problems that surfaced as work progressed: "The fly gallery was old, the timbers had shrunk, and there was little support between the beams holding the pulleys. The Actors' Equity said the structure was not safe and the grid was dangerous. Temporary measures had to be taken to make it secure for the first year" (Perkyns, pg. 16). Renovations that were originally estimated at $20,000 soon rose to $200,000 before all was said and done. Despite the setbacks, fundraising efforts, hard work, and gumption won the day, and Neptune Theatre became a reality.
Opening Night
July 1, 1963.
It's opening night. For real.
And it was grand.
525 people attended the inaugural performance. These included VIPs like Premier and Mrs. Stanfield, Premier and Mrs. Walter R. Shaw of Prince Edward Island, Alderman Mrs. E. A. Lane and Mr. Lane, Mayor and Mrs. W. I. Akerley of Dartmouth, and Richard MacDonald, president of the Dominion Drama Festival. In the audience too were Colonel Oland and his wife. One person was so desperate to get to the show on time that they came straight from a local golf course and brought their clubs with them (Mail Star, June 2, 1963, pg. 3). Spectators crowded the sidewalks of Sackville Street watching those who were lucky enough to get a ticket enter the theatre.
At 8:30pm, the trumpets of the Royal Canadian Artillery Band under the command of Captain Kenneth Elloway sounded to lead attendees to their seats. No doubt a hush fell over the newly revived theatre as the show began.
Major Barbara, a social satire written by George Bernard Shaw in 1905, is a three act play that tells the story of Barbara Undershaft, a Major in London's Salvation Army. Barbara - who has been estranged from her father - is surprised when he comes back into her life as a wealthy munitions manufacturer. When her father donates £5000 to the Salvation Army, Barbara resigns in protest believing that accepting the donation from her father is hypocritical. However, over the course of the play, Barbara's feelings begin to change. The show was directed by George McCowan and it starred Dawn Greenhalgh as the titular Major Barbara, alongside Molly Williams, Joan Evans, Mavor Moore, and others.
But what did people think?
"A credit to Halifax."
"Good as anything on Broadway."
"Performance equal to any seen in London or New York."
"Tremendous."
"It was a night that any Haligonian who was there, will never forget."
All of these comments and more ran on the front page of the Chronicle Herald newspaper the morning after Neptune's grand opening. That evening, the Mail Star echoed the same sentiments: "George McCowan's polished direction of Major Barbara got exactly what it deserved last night - a five-minute standing ovation from the Neptune Theatre's first-night audience" (Mail Star, July2, 1963, pg. 3).
Praise did not stop with the local news and local reviews. Telegrams flooded in throughout the evening from across Canada and as far away as Borneo congratulating Neptune and its opening night. Prime Minister Pearson and Opposition Leader John Diefenbaker even sent their regards (Mail Star, June 2, 1963, pg. 8).
Was the performance perfect? No. The Mail Star provided some gentle critiques for future shows - the Cockney accents were not always at their best; Dawn Greenhalgh spent too long in one area of the stage (which the paper considered a failure in direction) - but these words were few and far between. Without a doubt, the evening - the theatre - was a success. Following the show, the CBC held a reception for the staff, directors, and select guests at the Imperial Ball Room at the Lord Nelson Hotel to celebrate the great achievement that was Neptune Theatre.
The Finishing Lines
The road from that opening night in 1963 to today has not always been an easy one for Neptune. As with many art institutions finding reliable financing can be a struggle, especially when economic times are tough. But despite the hardships they have faced, Neptune Theatre has continued to grow.
In 1983, Tom Kerr, then artistic director, took Neptune's Young Company, which had been developed for theatre loving youths in the 1970's, and with Jennette White established the Neptune Theatre School.
By 1991, the old Garrick Theatre building was really showing its age. "A few years ago, if you'd asked theatre goers what they thought of their Neptune experience they'd say, 'Loved the plays - hated the building" (Chronicle Herald Neptune Theatre supplement, September 1997). The roof leaked, the heating system was unreliable, the lobby was small and became overcrowded at intermissions; it was time to change. With $7,000,000 in government support, and $6,000,000 raised by the theatre itself Neptune underwent a multi-million-dollar renovation in 1997. Under local architect Roy Willwerth of Duffus Romans Kundzins Rounsefell Ltd., the original space was completely redone and the theatre space, as Andrew Cobb had designed it, was restored. In addition, the theatre expanded into the building next door, filling the south-east corner of Sackville and Argyle Streets. This expansion allowed for a new 200-seat Second Stage, a rehearsal hall, shop facilities, and a home for the theatre school (Canadian Encyclopedia). Linda Moore, the artistic director through the renovation, selected Major Barbara as the first show for the newly renovated opening season. Since then, the company has been constantly adapting their space for the benefit of their audience and actors to ensure the best experience possible.
In the past 63 years, between their Main and Studio Stages, Neptune Theatre has produced more than 500 shows, opens a new window. Halifax, Dartmouth, and Nova Scotia at large have demonstrated their love, admiration, and support for this theatre and every member of staff who bring the stage to life.
Long live Neptune Theatre!
Library Sources
Neptune Theatre Program, Les Misérables
Vertical Files
Additional Sources
A Bold New Act, Neptune Theatre's Strategic Plan 2025-2028, opens a new window
Cobb, Andrew Randall, Dictionary of Architects in Canada, opens a new window
David Garrick, Encyclopedia Britannica, opens a new window
Garrick Theatre, Historic Detroit, opens a new window
The Great Crash of 1929 in Canada, The Canadian Encyclopedia, opens a new window
The Great Depression in Canada, The Canadian Encyclopedia, opens a new window
How the Modern Flapper Gal of the 1920s Spurred Moral Panic in Canada, CBC, opens a new window
Inflation Calculator, Bank of Canada, opens a new window
Leon Major: Legend Library, Canada's Theatre Museum, opens a new window
Leon Major: Order of Canada, Governor General of Canada, opens a new window
Major Barbara, Encyclopedia Britannica, opens a new window
Neptune Theater, The Canadian Encyclopedia, opens a new window
Odeon Theatres, Audiovisual Identity Database, opens a new window
Our History, Cineplex Odeon, opens a new window
Part X: Hollywood and Radio in the 1930s, The Kennedy Centre, opens a new window
Past Seasons, Neptune Theatre, opens a new window
People Eating at a Soup Kitchen, Government of Canada, opens a new window
Repertory Theatre, Encyclopedia Britannica, opens a new window
The Society for Preserving the History & Art of Burlesque in Nova Scotia, opens a new window
Stock Market Crash of 1929, Federal Reserve History, opens a new window
Two Decades of Neptune Theatre, Richard Perkyns, University of New Brunswick, opens a new window
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