HOW very sad to read of the Octagon's current financial problems (BEN, January 19).

But how can those interviewed, who admit to few visits in the last 12 months, clamour for "more comedy"?

Comedy comes in many guises - not necessarily Northern farces.

Anyone seeing Hysteria would have rocked at the antics of Salvador Dali & Freud while Annie and Fanny from Bolton to Rome had one similarly crying with laughter. Each production we see has empty seats - that is including the "comedy" advocated by Boltonians!

Come on, Boltonians, let's try to support a truly local theatre. There's more to entertainment than TV soaps and imported nonsense, although I agree in catering for all tastes, there's a tolerance for everything.

Mrs Val Hamer

Moss Hill, Bradshaw

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.