Following the successes of Tickbox and Chatterbox, acclaimed Scottish theatre-maker Lubna Kerr presents the final chapter of her insightful trilogy with Lunchbox, a powerful solo show premiering at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025. Inspired by Kerr’s own upbringing, this deeply personal production explores identity, race, bullying, and belonging through the nostalgic lens of playground politics.
Set in a secondary school in Glasgow, Lunchbox examines the lives of two teenagers—Steven, a troubled Scottish boy, and Lubna, a Pakistani girl—who live on the same street but experience the world in vastly different ways. Kerr takes on all the roles in this compelling piece, using the dynamic between the characters to explore the impact of bullying and the environments that shape us.
As Lubna finds solace in her lunchtime drama club, Steven seems destined for a darker path. The play poses the age-old question of nature versus nurture: are we defined by where we come from, or can we rewrite our own stories? Kerr reflects, “Lunchbox asks if a school lunchtime club can change the course of a life and if a bully can become a better person.”
Directed by Emily Ingram, with dramaturgy by Jen McGregor, editing by Charity Trim, and creative production by Ihsan Kerr, Lunchbox is a story of second chances and the long-lasting impact of childhood encounters. It’s a timely and thought-provoking piece that challenges audiences to consider how life cycles form—and how they can be broken.
