After serving some time in a counting-house, he turned his attention to journalism, and in 1789 was appointed editor of the Oracle newspaper, which had been started in that year as a rival to the World.

From 1795 to 1803 he continued to write plays which were well received: The Secret Tribunal, 1795, based on Benedikte Naubert's Hermann von Unna;[1] Italian Monk, 1797, founded on Mrs. Radcliffe's novel of the same name; Cambro-Britons, 1798; Aurelio and Miranda, 1799; The Voice of Nature, 1802; Maid of Bristol, 1803.

In 1796, Boaden addressed to George Steevens, the Shakespearean commentator, "A Letter containing a Critical Examination of the Papers of Shakespeare published by Mr. Samuel Ireland."

He stated in this letter his grounds for believing the papers held by Samuel Ireland to be spurious; but said that he, like so many others, had been at first deceived.

The Friend to Consistency (James Wyatt) pointed out that Boaden had been most enthusiastic about the "invaluable remains of our immortal bard" when they were first presented to the public."