Guest Masterclass: Shortform & Calvinball

Boost your short form skills and embrace rule-breaking creativity in Calvinball with Hayley Kellett. A weekend of joyful, fearless play.|

About Guest Masterclass: Shortform & Calvinball

	13th Jun 2026 to 14th Jun 2026
	10am
	Summerhall 1 Summerhall , Edinburgh South EH9 1PL
	From £72 to £132 Find Tickets
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Listed Under Workshops Events / Learning Events / Theatre Events

Workshop Overview:

Play Out Loud – Short Form Mastery & the Wild World of Calvinball

Step into a weekend built for bold choices, mischievous energy, and full-body laughter.
In this two-day intensive with international improv artist and educator Hayley Kellett, you’ll sharpen your skills in short form games and dive into the glorious, rule-bending chaos of the Calvinball mindset.

Across two dynamic full-day sessions, you’ll explore techniques for fearless play, audience connection, rapid adaptability, and the kind of joyful spontaneity that turns scenes into unforgettable moments.

Day 1 The Art & Joy of Short Form
Join us for this one-day intensive dedicated to mastering the joy of short form improv games. Practice getting the best suggestion, incorporating audience participation and dialing in on identifying the rules so you can use them to your advantage or playfully break them. This jam-packed joy-ride is for improvisers with a mischievous sense of play, a willingness to take risks and those who love delighting others with their onstage choices.

Day 2 – Calvinball: Embrace the Ever-Changing Game
Welcome to a format where the only stable rule is that the rules won’t stay the same.
You'll learn the format "Calvinball" — a game whose mechanics shift as it’s played. This session invites you to explore improvisation through the lens of surprise, invention, and playful anarchy.

You’ll experiment with:

Creating (and abandoning) rules on the fly
Following your impulse even when the “game” mutates mid-scene
Building joyful confusion that somehow feels like structured chaos
Collaborating with partners through rapid pivots, bold declarations, and imaginative leaps
This session celebrates invention, resilience, collaborative mayhem, and the ability to make rapid, intuitive choices that elevate a scene from ordinary to wildly memorable.
If you love formats that stretch your creativity in unexpected directions, this day is for you.

Schedule:

Sat June 13: Short Form Intensive

10am–1pm Short Form workshop
1pm–2pm Lunch break*
2pm–5pm Short Form workshop continued
Sun June 14: Calvinball

10am–1pm Calvinball workshop part 1
1pm–2pm Lunch break*
2pm–5pm Calvinball workshop part 2
*You can bring your lunch or head out — the Summerhall café & pub are just upstairs!

🧘 How to Show Up
Arrive early: please plan to arrive 10 minutes before class so we can start and end on time.
Dress comfortably: wear movement-friendly clothes that cover you fully (we’ll be moving throughout the space).
Bring water: a reusable water bottle is encouraged — hydration fuels creativity!

🎟️ Prerequisites
We recommend participants have completed Improv 101 (Intro to Improv) or attended several drop-in sessions of equivalent experience. Bonus if you have attended 102 (Intro to Shortform) as well.
Ages 16 and up.

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