After the Troubles broke out in Northern Ireland, Derry's theatre and entertainment sector all but collapsed. Touring companies stopped visiting, local groups suspended productions and festivals were cancelled. One troupe of amateur players based at the Little Theatre on Orchard Street was determined to keep the candle lit. From 1970 to 1994, the Theatre Club staged more than 60 plays, from Friel to Shakespeare, to hometown audiences starved of live shows. In this memoir, Gerry Downey leafs back through scores of old photos, clippings and programmes, and reflects on how he and his colleagues helped make the best of times in the worst of times.