Few people have time to go to the theatre nowadays, especially not during a busy working week.

But The Folk of Gloucester on Westgate Street aims to change this with Soup Theatre, a new monthly event series designed to fit perfectly into an hour-long lunch break.

Anyone working in Gloucester is invited to take a break from their daily routine and relax with a soup, toastie or baked potato while watching a short play - all included in a £10 ticket.

John Bassett, events manager at The Folk of Gloucester, said: "The idea came from seeing something similar in Stockholm. We will have a wide and varied programme of performances which can be enjoyed over lunch."

The first performance, taking place at 1pm on Friday, November 29, is The Fearless Navigator. This 40-minute show tells the remarkable true story of Howard Blackburn, who in 1899 sailed single-handed from Gloucester, Massachusetts, to Gloucester, England.

Blackburn was only the sixth person to cross the Atlantic in such a way: an achievement made all the more remarkable because he had lost all his fingers 15 years before through frostbite.

Originally created for the 2012 Olympics, this one-man show from Spaniel in the Works Theatre Company will be the first in the Soup Theatre repertoire.

John Bassett added: "Blackburn's story is one of true heroism and endurance. He was an ordinary fisherman who experienced incredible hardships before later in his life carrying out his transatlantic crossing."

In December, the company will bring Cancelling Christmas. This lively, funny and family-friendly show recounts how Oliver Cromwell and the Puritans tried to ban Christmas in the 17th Century. First performed at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the show is a highly irreverent look at Cromwell and his attitudes towards overindulgence.

Cancelling Christmas will take place on Friday, December 13, at 1pm.

Performances are suitable for ages 11 and above. Tickets cost £10, which includes a bowl of soup or equivalent light lunch. Attendees can book by visiting the Folk of Gloucester website.