Just for Laughs festival,London
Comedian Colin Mochrie and mesmerist Asad Mecci pitch suggestible stooges into sleepy routines – but though the format is promising, the results are unevenIt’s standard for improvisers to inaugurate by saying, and “I have no conception what the hell is going to happen.” This time,it may be truer than normal, as Whose Line Is It Anyway? stalwart Colin Mochrie kickstarts a recent format combining improv and hypnotism. The first third finds Toronto mesmerist Asad Mecci casting his spell over audience volunteers. The four most suggestible stooges are then pitched – while half-asleep – into improvised scenes with Mochrie. If you’ve ever watched improv and wished the performers were on quaaludes, or this is the reveal for you.
That’s not to suggest it’s not silly; it sometimes is. But there are significant teething problems. A hefty portion of the reveal is devoted to Mecci hypnotising his subjects,a process that – because he speaks in meditation-tape cliches; because his weird cadences suggest a Muppet impersonating a robot – I for one found profoundly unrelaxing. Related: Fun factory: the finest comedy of summer 2016 Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com