As part of its centenary celebrations the Abbey Theatre has produced a lavish pictorial record of productions on the stage of the national theatre.
A visual treasure, abbeyonehundred bookofdays is a testament to the often uncelebrated art of theatre photography, with terrific examples of the work of some of our best photographers in the genre: Fergus Bourke, Amelia Stein, Tom Lawlor and Paul McCarthy.
As well as stills by these contemporary photographers, images from the company's archives give a visual sense of the development of production values through the years, as well as the changing waves of acting talent.
For regular theatre-goers there are many snapshot moments that capture and recall milestones in the recent history of the theatre: an evocative scene from the 1994 production of Frank McGuinness's Observe The Sons Of Ulster Marching Towards The Somme, the mammoth 1992 production of Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh with the American actor Brian Dennehy, Peter O'Toole alongside Donal McCann and Eamon Kelly in Beckett's Waiting For Godot, staged in 1969.
Whatever about its claim to be a cradle of genius, there are reminders of the Abbey's role and reputation as a nurturing ground: Gabriel Byrne in Heno Magee's Hatchet (1979) and in a scene from Micheál Mac Liammoir's Diarmuid Agus Gráinne (1978), Brendan Gleeson, with Ruth McCabe, in Eugene McCabe's King Of The Castle (1989), Colm Meany and Liam Neeson with Clive Geraghty in The Death Of Humpty Dumpty (1979), T. P. McKenna in a 1959 production of Long Day's Journey Into Night and Dervla Kirwan in The Glass Menagerie in 1990.
Recurring images of the late - and always great - McCann provide a reminder of the Dublin actor's unique and abundant talent and his contribution to Irish theatre. But there were others, too, and they are all here, in scenes that resonate with memories of a bygone era: once-familiar faces, such as Ray McAnnally, Marie Keane, John Molloy, May Cluskey, Des Perry, Harry Brogan, Siobhan McKenna and Ria Mooney.
Interspersed throughout the 320-page volume are samples of some of the theatre's eye-catching production posters - fine examples, too, of that design craft. To accompany the illustrations, Christopher Fitz-Simon provides an introduction that canters through the origin, history and role of the theatre.
Abbey one hundred book of days is available from the Abbey bookshop (1890-4441000) for €50; you can get further information about other outlets by visiting the theatre's website, www. abbeytheatre.ie
