Abbey Musical Society was set to present its Here Comes Summer Show at Barrow Town Hall's banqueting hall in March 1990.

The show would contain popular Rodgers and Hammerstein songs, music from Les Misérables and a condensed version of The Boyfriend.

Among the principal singers would be Anne Woods, Bill Steel, Marie Almark, Gordon Woodhouse and Heather Collinge.

They would be backed by a full chorus and Dennis Wootton on the piano, Gordon Wilkinson on the drums and bass player Brian Parkinson.

Noreen Steel was musical director.

In March 1997 Abbey Musical Society was set to perform Lionel Bart's Blitz! at Forum 28 at Barrow.

The society had caused a national stir with its Northern premier of the show, which Bart refused to release for amateur performances for several years.

Amateur dramatic societies form Galashiels, York, Hull, Newcastle and Bromley, Kent, were among those who would travel to Barrow to see the production during its six-night run.

The cast of the society's production of Blitz! included 28 children, nine members of the Barrow Territorial Army and two fire officers.

With about a week to go, Tuesday to Saturday were three-quarters sold out and the opening night, Monday, traditionally the poorest seller, was already half full.

"We have had societies from all over the country ringing up to ask us how we managed to get the show and what we are doing about costumes and scenery," said musical director Noreen Steele.

"Lionel Bart wouldn't release it for the amateur stage for a long time, but we were very keen to do it to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Barrow Blitz. We kept pestering him until he let us do it.

"It has been very difficult to get costumes and we have had to make our own."

The society believed it was only the second time the show had been performed by amateurs.

In 1988 the society presented The Great Waltz.