Joy Coghill on Vancouver during WWII and Alan Barlow (Part 7 of 9)
Channel: Canada's Theatre Museum
Date: 2011-06-16

Joy Coghill on Vancouver during WWII, and Alan Barlow.


Originally born in Saskatchewan, Coghill moved with her family to Glasgow in 1928. Twelve years later, after her father’s death and during World War II, Joy and her mother evacuated back to Canada. In BC, Joy attended Kitsilano High School and took elocution lessons from Anne Mossman. Coghill recalls performing with the Vancouver Little Theatre in their production of Bunty Pulls the Strings by Graham Moffat. Opening night was the same day as the attack on Pearl Harbour and there was black out in Vancouver, but the audience came, and the show went on.

Coghill recollects that one day she arrived at school and there were empty seats where the Japanese students used to be. No one was told what happened and it was not until after the fact that she became aware of the internment camps. Coghill reminisces on how she felt on VE Day and the feeling that it was such a significant day she was surprised the colour of the sky hadn’t changed. Regarding the loss of Japanese art in that time, Coghill discusses how Alan Barlow, legendary theatre designer, had a sense for finding remarkable pieces that had been lost. Thomson thanks Coghill for hiring Barlow to direct, as opposed to design, at the National Theatre School while Thomson was studying there. He credits Barlow with opening the door to the 18th century through the use of aesthetics. 



Interviewed by R.H. Thomson on December 14, 2010 in Vancouver, B.C. Filming location courtesy of Performing Arts Lodges (PAL) Vancouver.