Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Asad Mecci and Colin Mochrie’s HYPROV hilariously and uniquely capitalizes on the improv ability residing in each of us

• By drediman
• September 27, 2022
• No Comments

This past weekend, I caught a late night performance of Hyprov, an unlikely and unpredictable evening of entertainment at the Daryl Roth Theatre just off of Union Square. The piece is the creation of hypnotist Asad Mcci and improv guru Colin Mochrie of Whose Line Is It Anyway? (alongside Jeff Andrews), whose production comes to New York a well-oiled machine by way of previous engagements in the U.K., Canada, and other cities in the U.S.

Many of us have been to improv/comedy shows. Some of us have been to shows where hypnosis is involved. But I’d wager that none of us have been to a performance in which both play an integral part of the experience. Up until now, that is. Enter Hyprov. At the beginning of the evening, audience members volunteer themselves to participate in the show. However, through a fascinating selection process, only five are ultimately chosen to proceed to be led through a number of improv sketches by the evening’s Improviser (at the performance I attended, the role was played by a game and winning Jonathan Magnum, filling in for Mr. Monchrie until next week). Admittedly, I was a bit skeptical of the premise of the whole thing, but in reality, I was pleasantly surprised at how smoothly and funny the proceedings went. Indeed, the hypnotized improvisers were invariably a hoot (at least at the performance I attended), especially in their random and uninhibited participation.

If the results are more more silly than witty, I’d like to think there’s space for this kind of entertainment, particularly in the safe hands of director Stan Zimmerman and creative consultant Bob Martin (who was so comedically on point as The Man in the Chair in the original cast of The Drowsy Chaperone). This improbable and wacky hybrid of a show makes me wonder if there’s an innate improv comedian residing in all of us.

RECOMMENDED

HYPROV
Comedy
Daryl Roth Theatre
1 hour, 45 minutes (without an intermission)
Open run