Lunchbox Theatre - Calgary

Bartley and Margaret Bard and Betty Gibb were looking for a way to present live theatre during the lunch hour to downtown shoppers and workers, so in 1975 they founded Lunchbox Theatre. Located in Calgary’s downtown core, it is now recognized as one of the most successful and longest running noon hour theatre companies in the world!  

Lunchbox Theatre delivers a fun and unique experience to its audience – upbeat performances in an intimate and comfortable atmosphere. Patrons are encouraged to eat their lunch while they enjoy the show. This friendly approach makes Lunchbox Theatre an ideal place to introduce theatre to new audiences, both young and old. 

Lunchbox Theatre focuses on the development and production of original one-act plays; many of which are written by local Calgarians. There are up to five plays produced in a season, along with the Stage One Festival of New Work and the RBC Emerging Director's Showcase.

Lunchbox Theatre spent its initial years presenting one-act comedies, musicals and revues in four different theatre spaces in Calgary’s Bow Valley Square. In the fall of 2008 the theatre relocated to a location in the Calgary Tower Centre in the heart of the city’s cultural district. It seated up to 110 patrons in different seating configurations, depending on the size of the stage. In March of 2020 when the Covid-19 Pandemic hit Canada, the remaining productions of the 2019/20 season were canceled, and the Board and Management made the decision to take the next year and a half to to reflect, to re-imagine and to revise a new and improved Lunchbox Theatre. The choice was also made to close the most recent venue’s doors for good, and while we were sad to say goodby to our own space, we are thrilled to be presenting our 2021-22 season in the Studio Theatre at Vertigo, just across the hall.

What's a One-Act Play?

 A one-act play is a short play that takes place in one act consisting of one or more scenes. It is often referred to as the “short story” of plays because it is told in a concise and creatively efficient manner. One-act plays, as with full length plays, come in all genres: comedies, dramas and musicals. Lunchbox Theatre mainly programs comedies and musicals to provide a noontime oasis for busy audience members.