The first thing you’ll notice about Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood is that they get on like a house on fire — even if you are on the line with them on an overseas conference call. Known for their improvisational comedy show, Whose Line Is It Anyway , the duo turned to touring to do what they love best — breaking audiences into peals of laughter. And now, they are in Mumbai for the Black Dog Easy Evenings at the Jamshed Bhabha Theatre, NCPA on March 25.
“The beauty of improv is that we don’t have to tailor anything for our audiences because it all depends on what they give us,” says Colin. He adds that the unpredictability is what helps them come up with the best lines. “We make it seem as though we totally understand and know what we’re talking about. We play along,” adds Colin. He further reveals that the duo is often thrown the word “gynaecologist” at their improv shows, though they are yet to gauge why. For those looking at Donald Trump jokes at the event; be prepared to be disappointed. If there is anything that they steer clear of, is politics. In their opinion, “while half the audience thinks its funny, the other half simply doesn’t.”
Every time the duo is on stage, one can always expect a good chortle from their time-tested improv chops. It’s this chemistry that makes them click. Colin says, “I don’t always know where he’s going with something, but I trust it will work out.” Ask what Brad loves about his partner in crime and he quips, “Love is a strong word.” Brad says he can get emotional while Colin, he says is calm and even-keeled. “We’ve both been angry with the same people at the same time, but never at each other. We haven’t had a single disagreement,” says Brad.
There are things outside of the comedy space that keeps their minds busy too. For instance, Colin assures us that he wants to be a superhero despite his fear of getting killed every three minutes; and even if Hollywood isn’t pinning down his door. “Oh, you should see the type of costumes and leotards he wears on tour. There’s even a cape,” laughs Brad, adding that they’d love to do a travel show together, with their wives or a gig which involves scuba diving considering that they are big on oceanography and marine life. “Both of us love making people laugh. This is the perfect job for us. We consider ourselves lucky. Colin is really lucky to be working with me,” says Brad.
This isn’t the first time the duo is in India but they hope to make the most of it, with a visit to the Taj Mahal topping their list. “We want to be tourists this time around and see the country, move around the cities and meet its people,” they say.
Colin confesses that he hasn’t heard about the Indian comedy scene at all or the many comics it’s been sprouting, he says, “We are hoping the comedy scene in India challenges us.”
