The script cupboard at the Abbey Theatre, following the fire.

Taken shortly after the fire was extinguished, this photograph depicts the havoc created backstage by the 1951 Abbey Theatre fire. This storeroom close to the Abbey stage was left totally exposed to the elements, having lost its roof. The photograph clearly shows a fire hose abandoned in front of an empty cupboard. What is not obvious is the importance of that cupboard to Irish theatrical history. Here the scripts and prompt scripts of Abbey Theatre productions were stored, along with curtain, sound and lighting cues. Many of the items displayed in this exhibition were rescued from this cupboard by dedicated Abbey staff members. Due to their timely actions these items are now preserved in the Abbey Theatre Archive, allowing them to be examined by future generations.