It is with a heavy heart that we announce the death of Allan Keith Turnbull. Born in Lindsay, Ontario August 30,1944, Keith was the third of four children.
Graduating from Western University in 1965 he went on to a fast rising and illustrious career in the arts which spanned nearly six decades, numerous countries, and all fields of artistic practice. Along the way, Keith influenced a vast array of artists as a mentor, a colleague, and a friend.
Keith was a director, a dramaturg, a translator, a producer, and an educator. He had a deep commitment to contemporary and new work in both theatre and opera with an equal dedication to the performance practice and interpretations of classical texts. As a young director he assisted John Hirsch, Jean Gascon and Eddie Gilbert. At the age of 25, after two years of making experimental work in the studio space at the Manitoba Theatre Centre, Keith was appointed Artistic Director. In 1973, he became the Artistic Director of Neptune Theatre’s Second Stage, in Halifax. In the following two years he developed and directed James Reaney’s landmark plays, The Donnelly Trilogy at The Tarragon Theatre. In 1975 Keith founded The NDWT Company (sometimes known as the ne'er do well thespians) which developed, produced and toured many new works nationally.
From the early 80’s to 1999 he worked at the Banff Centre for the Arts where he was the Artistic and Executive director from ‘93 - ‘99. During that time he developed the Contemporary Opera and Song program and ran the playRites Colony in partnership with Alberta Theatre Projects. For Banff Theatre Arts, he directed productions including The Rake’s Progress (Stravinsky), Oral Treason (Kagel), Eight Songs for a Mad King and Miss Donnithorne's Maggot (Maxwell Davies) which toured the Edmonton Fringe and Stratford Festivals, the world premiere of UBU (Toovey) which toured throughout Great Britain, the Canadian premiere of White Rose (Zimmermann), and the world premieres of Boiler Room Suite (UK tour, Doolittle), Kafka's Chimp (Metcalf) and Zürich:1916 (Butterfield). He developed new works by such composers as L. Bouchard, J. Evangelista, J. Oliver, Z. Settel and L. C. Smith. Also for Banff, he co-produced dance works by Ballet British Columbia, Deepti Gupta, Compagnie Marie Chouinard, Joe Ink, Ballet Jörgen, Misrasena, Jocelyne Montpetit, José Navas, New Dance Horizons Saskatchewan, Dominique Porte and Pierre-Paul Savoie Danse.
Later productions included John Metcalf’s opera Kafka's Chimp which toured Sweden. In 2005, with his production company Le Chien qui chante, he developed, produced and directed the new opera A Chair in love by John Metcalf and Larry Tremblay, which premiered and toured in Wales and Ireland. In 2006 it played in Montreal, and in 2008 , it toured Wales and England. In 2006 at Factory Theatre in Toronto, Keith directed his translation, published by Talon Books, of Larry Tremblay’s play The Ventriloquist. In Sweden he directed the much-acclaimed world premiere of Carl Unander-Scharin’s The Crystal Cabinet for which he was also co-librettist. In 2012, he directed the world premiere of The Elephant Man by composer Carl Unander-Scharin and librettist Michael Wiiliams for Norlandsoperan (Sweden). The Elephant Man was selected as one of the ten most significant cultural events in Sweden for 2012. He dramaturged and directed the world premiere in Edmonton of Shelter by Juliet Palmer and Julie Salverson for Tapestry New Opera (Toronto) in coproduction with Edmonton Opera. In 2014, Shelter was remounted in Toronto.
Also in 2014 he was dramaturge and director for Under Milk Wood – an opera by composer John Metcalf with text by Dylan Thomas for Taliesin Arts Centre (Swansea) in coproduction with Companion Star (New York), Le Chien qui chante (Montréal) and in association with Welsh National Opera. The production opened in Swansea followed by a tour of Wales and a double CD recording. It was chosen as one of the ten best 2015 world premieres by International Opera Awards, one of the ten best UK opera productions by The Guardian, and one of the three best UK productions of Opera and Music Theatre by the Royal Philharmonic Society. The CD recording was selected by British Airways for their In-flight entertainment. As well as producing and touring internationally, Keith directed more than 70 plays across Canada.
Keith’s translated plays from French to English include: Four to Four (co-translator Christian Bédard) by Michel Garneau published by Éditions Simon and Pierre; The Ventriloquist by Larry Tremblay published by Talonbooks; Burger Love by Tremblay published by Playwrights’ Canada Press, War Cantata by Tremblay published by Talonbooks. Keith taught at Concordia University, the University of Manitoba, The National Theatre School, the University of Calgary, l’Université de Montréal, Bishop’s University, The Banff Centre, Playwrights’ Workshop Montreal and Tapestry New Opera Works.
Keith is predeceased by his parents, Jean Rebecca Turnbull (nee Fee), William “Bill” Doherty Turnbull, his brothers William Brian Turnbull, David John Turnbull and his beloved sister Beverly Suzanne “Suzy” Turnbull. He is survived by his dear friend Lahcen Izikki, his nieces and nephews Jessica, Johanna, Andrew (Brian Turnbull), Todd (David Turnbull), and his great nephews Ryzoh and Lukkas and his great nieces Jazzmyn and Dahlia.
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