KEENE, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) Comedy and hypnosis collide on stage this Saturday, March 1, when improv veteran Colin Mochrie and hypnotist Asad Mecci bring their critically acclaimed show Hyprov: Improv Under Hypnosis to the Colonial Theatre.

Best known for his quick wit on “Whose Line Is It, Anyway?,” Mochrie teams up with Mecci to deliver a one-of-a-kind show where hypnosis unlocks the hidden comedic talents of everyday audience members. The concept is simple but daring: Mecci hypnotizes 20 volunteers on stage, and the most responsive are invited to improvise alongside Mochrie—while still under hypnosis.

“Every night, it still kind of amazes me that it’s working,” Mochrie said.

Mecci assures the show is completely improvised. “It’s like a comedy high-wire act,” he said. “We’ve never met these people before, nothing is pre-arranged or rehearsed. The show you see will never happen again. It’s quite magical.”

The idea for Hyprov was born when Mecci reached out to Mochrie through his website, pitching the fusion of hypnosis and improv. “His longtime manager, Jeff Andrews, got back in touch and said it was a fantastic idea,” Mecci recalled. “We put up the first show at Second City in Toronto, right after the mainstage performance. We really didn’t know if it would work… but it ended up being a smash success.”

Since then, Hyprov has toured over 150 cities across North America, enjoyed a 70-show Off-Broadway run at the Daryl Roth Theatre, and held a six-month residency at Harrah’s in Las Vegas. Now in the midst of a 57-city tour that kicked off in Honolulu, the show has earned praise from critics and audiences alike. The Wall Street Journal called it “catnip for those who relish spontaneity and informality.”

The show unfolds like a dreamlike improv session. Mecci carefully observes the volunteers for what he calls “trance indicators.” “I’m looking for changes in the rate and location of respiration,” he explained. “Breathing shifts, skin tone changes, a shiny appearance to the skin… and a focused, mask-like facial expression. Those are my cues that someone is deeply hypnotized.”

Once hypnotized, volunteers cycle between performing and resting in their chairs, appearing asleep but fully aware. “It’s like watching a movie,” Mochrie said. “You get so caught up that you’re moved to an emotional response. You jump at a horror scene or cry during a tearjerker—that’s what happens on stage.”

The results are often hilarious and occasionally heartwarming. “One night, a man ended up singing with me during a scene,” Mochrie recalled. “After the show, I saw him with his family. They were crying… they’d never seen him sing before. He was usually so quiet. It was like seeing a whole new side of him.”

For some, the experience is even transformative. Mecci remembered one woman with crippling social anxiety who became the star of the night. “She told us afterward it was the most relaxed and free she’d ever felt. She even signed up for improv classes after that.”

The uniqueness of Hyprov hasn’t gone unnoticed. In 2023, it was nominated for an Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Most Unique Theatrical Experience. “Most people have seen a play, a musical, even a magic show,” Mecci said. “But you’ve never seen anything like this.”

Tickets for Hyprov, this Saturday, March 1, at 8 p.m. at the Colonial Theatre, 95 Main St., Keene, range from $39 to $65 and can be purchased by calling the box office at 352-2033 or visiting thecolonial.org.