Lynn Ivall grew up in the city of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. He attended the University of Calgary, studying Drama in the Fine Arts Department. Lynn was well respected at the university for many roles, including one of the lead twin Antipholus roles in Shakespeare's "Comedy of Errors". He spent one summer with Univ. of Calgary.'s "Wagon Stage" company touring children's theatre sponsored by the City of Calgary. He was one of many actors living that summer in the house owned by the family of Geordie Johnson, best known as star of Canadian-made television show Dracula: The Series (1990) and now a stalwart of the Stratford Festival for many years. Also in the cast that year at Wagon Stage were Stephen Russell, another veteran Stratford actor, as well as Russell's future (now ex-) wife, Barbara Schnurr (now, Barbara Russell), and in his second season with that company, writer/actor (Glen) Stafford Williamson.