By Lee-Anne Poole • Halifax • 2025-07-17
At this year's Theatre Nova Scotia Merritt Awards I was honoured to present Hugo Dann with The Legacy Award. If you don't know, Hugo has been living with a rare form of dementia for some time now. Hugo's dementia is advanced. He's lost many abilities, but he profoundly appreciates visits from friends, listening to music, eating chocolate, being spoken to, and singing along to music. Art still means a lot to him. Hearing laughter still means a lot to him (ever the performer!). Thank you to everyone in the room, that applause was meaningful and deeply felt. Thank you to Stewart Gregory Legere for helping Hugo accept this award by leading us in one of his favourite songs. And to all of Hugo friends who helped get him there (last night most specifically Kevin Kindred & Matthew Lumley).
I'm starting a visiting / interview project with Hugo. Basically, if you knew Hugo at all -- even if you only did one show together back in the day, or were roommates and friends for many years, saw each other at Pride, protests, or the bar -- I'd love to connect. We'll go visit Hugo together and I'll interview you on your time (great or small) with him. I think it's something unique to Queers and theatre makers that we can make such close friendships for a just few weeks and then not see each other for years. So please, get in touch! We'll have a visit, a coffee, and share memories.
Here is the video. Hugo's award is at the 2:18:15 mark; here are my remarks:
March 31, 2025 Merritt Awards Presentation Remarks
In 2013, I nominated Hugo Dann for the (now retired) Mayor’s Award for Established Theatre Artist - he was that year's recipient. I was grateful for the opportunity to show him my appreciation. I was honoured to nominate a mentor, colleague, and friend who consistently showed up for me as a young Queer writer. He would gladly read my plays with great encouragement and interest. He would write me passionate letters of support (that I'd read to myself if I ever needed an ego boost). He would meet me for coffee, argue, debate, and treat me as an equal. Even though I was very young, and probably thought I knew lot more than I did (he would often joke that he’s never won an argument against me), but he was the one telling me about Stonewall and how the Drag Queens and Trans women were leaders in our movement. (He’d be disappointed in me if I didn’t take the time to acknowledge that today is Trans day of visibility and how much we owe to the Trans people in our lives). He’s who explained the concept of ‘pink washing’ to me. And he took the time to explain the definition of the many many words he’d use that I didn’t understand.
He was always informed and unafraid to advocate for what he thought was right, and didn't shy away from ruffling feathers.
Today, I am honoured to present Hugo Dann with the TNS Legacy Award for outstanding contribution to professional theatre in Nova Scotia. Hugo Dann has made fans and enemies over the years, as anyone who is opinionated, passionate, and a fierce advocate often does. And has undoubtedly left a legacy.
He was always informed and unafraid to advocate for what he thought was right, and didn't shy away from ruffling feathers. I was recently looking through his old Facebook account. It struck me how, even though he hasn't posted in many years, it's almost as if he posted yesterday. Some of his most recent posts are promoting Trans Rights, images of Palestinians waving their flag, and blasting Andy Fillmore for not doing enough to support queer people.
Hugo has always been passionate and vocal as an actor and an activist. He didn't keep the two separate, and brought theatre to his activism! He’d tell me stories of protests, marches, and even kiss-ins. It’s like a sit in... but with kissing.
Hugo was a co-founder of the Rainbow Refugee Association of Nova Scotia - RRANS, Co-Chair of Halifax Pride for many years, and was the first Executive Director of NSRAP (Hugo raised more than $50,000 for the organization in one fiscal year).
To name a very few of this theatrical contributions: He was nominated for the Merritt Award for Best Actor for Whale Riding Weather, was in the original 2008 cast of Catherine Banks' Bone Cage. Those are two of my favourites, but his theatrical credits span Neptune Theatre, 2b theatre company, Shaw Festival Company in the early 80s, Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia, Buddies In Bad Times Theatre, and had a leading role on Canadas first soap opera, Riverdale. He’s a graduate of Bristol Old Vic.
A round of applause for the one and only, Hugo Dann.
