‘Whose Line?’ improv pair go virtual
Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood are masters of improvisation.
And if there’s ever a time to improvise, it’s now.
The two comics star in TV’s “Whose Line is it Anyway?” and have taken their unscripted show on the road for years. With venues shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic, they’ve created “Stream of Consciousness,” a ticketed Zoom show that works in much the same without-a-net manner as their in-person act, with Mochrie in Toronto, Sherwood in Las Vegas and fans on screen, but not untouchable.
“We have one part where we go into someone’s living room and make them do a commercial with us,” Mochrie, 62, says by phone. “It’s bizarre because at the stage shows people usually volunteer. When you’re watching the stream all of a sudden you’re on the screen and in the scene.
“So far everyone’s been great, and we’ve gotten great feedback.”
Mochrie and Sherwood came up with the “Stream of Consciousness” concept after “realizing pretty soon that theaters were going to be among the last things to open” during the pandemic. The most challenging aspect is not being able to hear laughs — “though Brad is used to that,” Mochrie quips — but the pair wanted to maintain the improvisation that’s their stock in trade.
“We’ve had to make some changes. Because people are watching it on a screen, there’s more distractions, so we can’t take as much time with the scenes as we would on stage,” explains Mochrie, who’s retooled his basement into a broadcast center with a green screen and two computers. “But everything is still based in improvisation, and it’s been a lot of fun — actually more fun than I’ve thought it would be.”
It’s also letting Mochrie and Sherwood take the show worldwide. Among their upcoming dates is one for a British venue. “There’s something cool about touring the world from your basement,” Mochrie says. “This is the best time to be in demand — when nothing else is going on.”