Chowing down with humour

One of the things most people don’t know about comedic improviser Colin Mochrie is that he has a double-jointed thumb.

“It bends back and touches the wrist. I don’t do it as a party trick. It grosses people out,” says Mochrie.

As he chats from his Toronto home, Mochrie speaks in soft, measured tones with just a hint of the zingers he doles out on television.

Not exactly what one expects from a wacky, high-energy improvisational comic who cemented an international reputation in string of shows such as Second City, Whose Line Is It Anyway?, This Hour Has 22 Minutes and Drew Carey’s Improv-a-ganza.

As an individual, Mochrie appears very comfortable in his skin and his slant on life. In our celebrity-starved culture where lives commonly spin out of control, his grounded approach is a refreshing accent.

Whether straight comedy or improv, the Scottish-born Canadian is irresistibly drawn to making audiences laugh. Lately he’s been working on his first love – Two Man Group’s interactive improvisation. Along with comedy partner Brad Sherwood, Mochrie will road test the routines on Friday, September 20 at Servus Credit Union Place.

“We complement each other. I tend to be laid back. He’s incredibly anal. But he makes the tour go smoothly. I try to take care of his mental needs,” chuckles Mochrie.

The dynamite duo met when Mochrie moved to Los Angeles. The Second City alumni group, that also includes Sherwood, would meet every Friday night at a club and work their routines. The two funnymen clicked and formed a friendship that spans over two decades.

For over 30 years, Mochrie notched his resume with lightening spontaneity. Most people would buckle under pressure. Instead he thrives under the lights.

“Offstage my heart is clenched and my hands sweat. When I walk onstage I feel terrific. I always work with people I trust and I have the optimism it will work out. I feel confident and totally relaxed.”

As a high school graduate, he became hooked on improv at Vancouver’s Studio 58 after watching a demonstration of theatre sports.

“I like the magic of improvisation. What I love about it is you fail or succeed on your own. In TV, you’re a small cog and an editor or a technician can destroy what you are doing. But with improvisation, you succeed or fail on your own.”

While a theatre actor spends several hours getting into the zone before a performance, Mochrie’s mental preparation is nil. He says his backstage secret to delivering a successful live show is playing cards, drinking coffee and picking on Sherwood.

“My focus when I go onstage is with nothing, absolutely nothing. Just to be relaxed and enjoy what Brad gives me. Most of the time, the hardest work is being accepting of everything that comes up. In my younger days, I tried to come up with clever ideas and I tried to shoehorn them in the act. Forcing an idea in the smooth impromptu flow of the moment rarely works.”

The Two Man Group has toured North America for a few years. Looking for a challenge, the duo decided to live dangerously. They planned a tour of India, curious to see if their hard-bellied laughs would translate in the Asian culture.

“At first we were worried about the jokes. We usually ask suggestions from the audience and the first thing they asked about was farts. At that moment we knew we were fine.”

Mochrie’s advice to aspiring comics is “Do it somewhere. Anywhere. When we started we were doing it in clubs, church basements, halls. Only through doing it, do you find your strengths and weaknesses. Talk to the audience. It breaks down the shyness. Do it as much as you can.”