The Playreaders' Group have been reading plays each month for nine months in each year since 1987. Many of the plays have been written by English or Irish playwrights and have ranged from Shakespeare to present day authors but wider interests have also been addressed. These include works by Chekov, Gogol, Moliere, Anouilh, Bertold Brecht, Lorca, Neil Simon, Thornton Wilder, Tenesee Williams and Arthur Miller.

Sets of books are normally borrowed from the library and given to the playreaders a week in advance of the reading so that, with a degree of familiarity with both the characters and the text, the right atmosphere can be created for a close involvement.

The meetings usually take place at the convenor's home and during the coffee break, or after the reading, time is given to discussion especially if the work has been particularly thought provoking.

At Christmas, the group usually generate a performance for the entertainment of other U3A members, the most recent being a pantomime piece written by a member.