Whose laugh is it anyway?

Picture this conversation: “Hi, I am a big fan of yours. I think you’re hilarious.” “Oh. Then you must be a very intelligent woman!”

He is one of the wittiest guys on television, and a leading talent in the genre of improvisational (improv) comedy. And Colin Mochrie can make you laugh without trying to, even during a phone conversation. This weekend, Mochrie will be performing in the city, along with fellow-actor and funnyman Brad Sherwood, at the Black Dog Comedy Evenings.

Mochrie and Sherwood are known the world over as the funny guys from the hit improv comedy game-show Whose Line Is It Anyway?

On their first tour of India, Mochrie and Sherwood are understandably excited.  “It is scary and fun. Since it’s a new place, we do not know how our work will translate in a different culture,” says Sherwood, who is accompanied by his wife.

The duo will be performing in Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi on their first tour overseas. While they will be sticking to the American version of the show, the Indian audience can look forward to some new games like ‘Mousetraps’, where they will perform blindfolded and barefoot amongst 100 mousetraps. Also, expect some Whose Line games like ‘Sound Effects’ and ‘Moving Bodies’, both of which will require audience participation. “The entire show hinges on the audience. We are going to let them do all the work for us. This is the best job for lazy people like us,” says Mochrie.

For Sherwood, every audience is different, and their suggestions, nervousness or over-confidence can also make for funny moments. And while favourites like ‘Scenes from a Hat’ are difficult to perform because of less manpower, there will also be singing. Though Mochrie feels the audience does not like his singing, Sherwood will make sure he does sing. It’s the easy banter and comfortable camaraderie between the two that ensures that the shows will have you rolling in the aisles.

Mochrie and Sherwood have been performing as a team since 2003 on their show An Evening with Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood.

When they first went on the road, they started out with 12 people, which soon whittled down to the two of them. The reason? As Colin puts it, “We are stage hogs and wanted the maximum share of the stage”. Today, the duo performs around 80 to 100 shows, usually centred in North America and Canada.  

Off stage, Sherwood likes to be funny all the time. “I like to find humour in everyday situations. Most recently, the traffic chaos and pedestrians in Kolkata had us laughing away at the absurdity of the whole situation.”

Mochrie on the other hand, is a shy and quiet person, who quite often, “disappoints people, as I don’t come across as wacky or funny”. If things go well, the duo is looking at making the India visit an annual event.

Log onto www.spiritzandmore.com and submit an original witty one-liner to win passes to the event.