During their US and Canadian tour on Dec. 22, long-running star of “Whose Line Is It, Anyway?” Colin Mochrie and master hypnotist Asad Mecci are bringing their show “HYPROV: Improve Under Hypnosis” to The Magnolia in El Cajon on Dec. 22. HYPROV, has sold out venues across Canada, America and the United Kingdom, is returning with the Yes, It’s Real Tour, visiting 45 North American cities which began Oct. 10 at the Hawaii Theatre Center in Honolulu.
The 90-minute show combines hypnosis and improv, two art forms that have mystified and entertained fans, skeptics, and everyone in between.
In the hands of two experts and solely crafted by volunteers and audiences uninhibited, unconscious minds, each show is an entirely original and completely unforgettable theatrical experience.
Mecci said he asks 20 volunteers to join him on stage, hypnotizes them, and then whittles them down to the most receptive under hypnosis.
“From there, Mochrie improvises with the people on stage while they are hypnotized,” he said.
Mecci said he cold-emailed Mochrie and outlined the format of the show, and he thought it was a fascinating idea and workshopped the concept of the show.
“We took it out on tour, and now the rest is history. We have toured 150 cities across North America. We performed a residency in Las Vegas, and we have performed to critically acclaimed Off-Broadway. Now, we are excited to come perform for you in El Cajon,” said Mecci.
Mecci said this show is entertaining for everyone.
“I always say I have a front row seat to the best comedy in the world because I get to watch Mochrie improvise with some random volunteers from the audience while they are hypnotized. It is a show like you have never seen,” said Mecci.
Mochrie said when he first heard about the show’s concept, it was “frightfully terrifying,” but was also the thing that drew him to it.
“I have been improvising for a very long time, and one of my fears is getting too comfortable. This is great. It is out of my comfort zone. It makes me go back to the roots of my improv. I do not know who I am working with, so I must listen and work with them as a group,” he said. “Every night is just a show with that audience. No one will ever see that show again depending on what our hypnotizers do, what we do, that is what makes it fun. It never gets old.”
Mochrie said each show, they do not know what to expect.
“All we know is that we will end up with four to five audience members. Nobody is forced to come up on stage. We treat them with sensitivity because they are there to help us. It is a fun time and every night we find an improv superstar. The beauty of this show is that you can just sit and watch, or you can get involved and get up on stage,” he said.
Mecci said Mochrie is modest and that the show is “absolutely hysterical.”
“You will laugh so hard that you will cry. Colin is an improv genius. The fascinating thing about hypnosis is that when a person is hypnotized, a part of the brain that deals with self-reflection becomes disconnected. So, they no longer reflect on their behavior. They just carry out my suggestions without hesitation, without question,” said Mecci. “The really good ‘hypnovisers’ who are performing on stage with us under hypnosis, they are going toe-to-toe with Colin and matching wits with him. It is incredible to watch these random volunteers match withs with the great Colin Mochrie. It is a very original show, like nothing you have ever seen before. It is fascinating. The show is fast-paced, action-packed, and very high energy with what we are doing on stage. It is also highly immersive. The audience is riveted from the beginning to the end of the show. Especially family members and friends who have volunteers on stage.”
Mecci said there are no preplanned participants, and each show has volunteers willing enough to participate on stage and create an instant improv group.
“It is truly about unlocking the talented, creative genius, comedy that is in us all. It allows you to get everything else out of the way and immerse yourself in the performance. First time improvisers will play to the crowd, look nervous, use filler words, hesitate. These people just jump right in and are fully committed. It makes for seamless and powerful improv,” he said.
Mecci said he gives volunteers a suggestion so that they will remember their part in the show.
The show is family-friendly, but hypnotized participants must be 18 years old.
