For love of a laugh

The first thing you’ll notice about Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood is that they get on like a house on fire – even on an overseas conference call and you can tell, that no matter what, they’ve got each others’ back. Known for their improvisational comedy show Whose Line Is It Anyway?, the duo turned into a touring act just to do what they love the most — to break the world into peals of laughter. And now, they are all set to bring some laughs with their unashamed antics and bizarre behaviour to The Lalit Ashok with Black Dog Easy Evenings on March 29.

“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 Hilaritycus Smoothius aka Colin about winging it show after show, this time in Mumbai, Hyderabad and Gurgaon. For some reason, they do get the word gynaecologist. A lot. And they are hoping it’ll be different in India.

For some reason, they do get the word gynaecologist. A lot. And they are hoping it’ll be different here in India. Colin says, “Let it challenge us and come  from a creative place.” But fun is when they have no clue about a suggestion. That riles up their comic element – unpredictability. “We make it seem as though we  know what we’re talking about,” adds Colin. They also steer clear of political candidates. So, the word Trump is surely not an option!

Every time the duo is on stage, one can always expect a good chortle from their improv chops and it’s this chemistry that makes them click. “I don’t always know where Brad is going with something, but I trust him,” says Colin. Ask what Brad loves about his partner in crime and he quips, “Love is a strong word.” While being Cranius Gigantium, Brad can get emotional, Colin, he says is calm and even-keeled. “We haven’t had a single disagreement in all these years,” says Brad.

There are things outside of the comedy space that keeps their overactive minds busy too. For instance, Colin insists that he wants to be a superhero. “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 something with scuba diving considering their interest in oceanography and marine life. “Both of us love making people laugh. This is the perfect job for us. We consider ourselves lucky,” says Brad.

This isn’t the first time the duo is in India either. 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.