Boston Playgoers Society was founded in 1928. We have enjoyed a long history of presenting comedies and farce with the odd slightly more serious piece thrown in for good measure - to give the more dedicated acting members something to get their teeth into. Some of these offerings are still remembered by both audiences and members for their excellence. Ask a long term follower about our production of Educating Rita and it still elicits a "now that was a good one?."

Gradually over the last ten years however we, like most other am-dram societies, began to experience both falling membership and almost more seriously, audiences.

This certainly cannot be laid at the door of falling standards but with the battle to hold the interest of a public assailed on all side by the computerized world of home entertainment.

The membership problem was righted almost at a stroke by our luck to have a play writing member, John Lingard, whose play " Bomber" brought us several new members most of whom are still with us. "Bomber", about a local Bomber Command Station in WW2 was staged in Oct 2001 and because of its local history aspect, attracted large audiences which together with the lottery grant made available to the project made us more financially secure than we had been for several years.

We were however well aware that the audiences for Bomber were to all intents and purposes a one -off and that the problem of falling audience attendance was likely to remain.

With this in mind it was decided to mount a stage production of the T V sitcom "Allo, Allo" in Oct 2002 in an effort to put 'bums on seats'. So popular was it that we followed it up in Feb 2004 with "Are You Being Served?" which was a winner and pulled in large audiences. Indicating yet again that a large section of the public like what they know.

This has to some extent been influential in deciding our future programmes in that we now try to pick one (hopefully) very popular play well known from TV and two others as different as possible from each other at least one of which will stretch the cast and/or backstage team.

Anyone who wishes to join Boston Playgoers Society should contact Glyn Ruskin (see below):

Contact Us:

Tel: 01205 358179 (Glyn Ruskin)

Email: glynandjohn@btinternet.com