Cry Little Sister: EVENT: Colin Mochrie & Brad Sherwood at Comedy Theatre

Last Thursday night I had the pleasure of going along to see Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood live comedy inprov show at the Comedy Theatre in Melbourne. Whose Line Is It Anyway? has been one of my favourite shows since high school. Colin has always been my favourite regular performer - and Brad, forever my favourite guest performer. So I can't tell you how excited I was that they were coming to Australia. I wouldn't have missed the show for all the world!

Details and photos under the cut - including the meet and greet.

(please note: some content may offend certain people)

We had bought our tickets quite late. I was worried that they would all sell out by the time I actually did buy them but some good tickets came back on sale a couple of weeks before the show so we grabbed at them. We were on the aisle in row I. My photo above looks quite far but we were actually quite close. Or, at least, I had the perfect view of the show =D And I was happy not to be near the front as I was terrified (as I was wearing neon yellow and stood out) that I would be called up on stage.

Please, bare in mind, I am going off memory and some details might be slightly off.

The show started and Colin and Brad ran on stage and greeted the crowd. Brad mentioned something about how they've eaten some of the best food in Melbourne whilst being here - like Hungry Jacks (Australia's version of the US Burger King) Colin mentioned how excited they were both to perform for the first time in Melbourne. He also mentioned how they had no idea how the show was going to go because it was all improvised.

Brad warmed up the crowd by getting the audience to call out our names, star signs etc. Brad remarked how you only heard the end of 'Sagittarius' because by the end, they're the only ones still going.

The first game, however, was moving people. Two volunteers were called up on stage - Joe and a girl (maybe Rachel?). To which, Brad called the girl Joe, and the boy whatever her name was. (a joke which you can find on the DVD - I hate repeat jokes :\)

Colin asked the audience what is a common thing to do in Melbourne and someone shouted out skydiving set in France, so that was their scene. I don't remember much of the scene but I remember that Colin pulled his parachute out of his butt and Brad's was more like a clutch purse. So by the end of it, Colin was holding onto Brad as they "fell" so to speak. Also, they had to ride on a scooter to the plane to which Brad kept waving his arms and not holding on. (As it's a visual game, you have to imagine - but it was very amusing all the same).

Forgive me as I forget the order of the next games.

I don't remember what the game was called but they needed a bunch of people who could think on their feet quickly. Brad asked for the house lights to come on, but his request was ignored, but I believe he got about eleven people in the end on stage after trying very hard to see any faces in the crowd. I'm just going to call it the Hand Up Suggestion game just for this review.

Basically, Colin and Brad would be doing a scene and whenever they'd put their hand up, the audience member (in rotation out of the 11) would have to finish the sentence - to which Brad and Colin would then work into the scene.

Colin asked a man in the audience what his favourite thing to do is and he said 'cycling'. Then he asked another audience member what their least favourite thing is and she said 'mushrooms'. So that was the scene.

So the scene started with Brad and Colin as cyclists getting ready for the big 'Tour De Sroom'. I remember a few suggestions that came from the volunteers. There was something about Viagra and steering the bike with their appendages if their arms get too sore. Was the mountain called 'Lubricant Lane', 'Porcupine something' or 'Something Mountain'? (darn my failing memory!) Brad's "bike" was made from a velociraptor . Colin was drinking Gatorade - made from real 'gators' and Brad was drinking a liquified burger (I thought the guy said booger but not too sure).

Oh and Colin's 'kick our arses' - he said it so funny-like.

I remember that they asked what they were passing and the suggestion was 'a big woman's tits' to which Colin remarked where was the big women - but they stopped for a break nonetheless.

Colin looked ready to pass out after how much pretend cycling they had to do. There was also a bald joke in there somewhere - which Colin was glad came from a fellow baldie. Brad remarked how this was their seventh show in Australia and they were seven for seven with someone making a bald joke.

Straight after, Colin and Brad did a game which I think was called 'Kick It'. Because I remember Colin saying that it was the worst game to do straight after because of how exhausted he was.

Basically, in the game they do a scene and then one of them can say 'kick it' after the other has just said a sentence and then have to sing a rap about what they just said. To stop the performer from rapping, the other simply has to say 'Word'.

I don't remember much about this game because it was over shadowed by Brad's long long looooooooooooooong rap at the very end. But the suggestion was 'Sci Fi' - Colin said we say it funny (I think funny means bogan, but anyway). Brad's species had come to Earth to impregnate all the women of Earth - as their race only live for 17 days. Naturally, there was an Uranus jokes in there ...

Colin said a very long scientific sentence to which Brad said 'kick it' and Colin 'worded' himself after two lines.

And on to Go On/Change.

I think Colin asked the audience what would you be surprised to see the world taken over by and someone said 'Rabbits'. There was a 'receding hare-line' joke in there somewhere. Also taking acid to get into the clouds so Colin could let his python venom rain onto the rabbits from above. I think the rabbits were creating a giant carrot to take over the world or something like that.

I can't honestly say that this game is a blur. Sorry. I do remember little bits and pieces like after being told to 'Change' numerous times they'd say they have no ideas (IE Brad said, "If only I had an idea of how we can use your python DNA to stop the rabbits" after he'd suggested a number of option already).

The similar game, as played on Whose Line, has never been my favourite so I don't remember much at all.

So a Whose Line favourite - Sound Effects. I had seen this on the DVD and was terrified that they'd choose our row to do sound effects but luckily Brad ran past me and to the back row. Colin had one women on stage to do all his sound effects - which the audience would do Brad's. Colin went through the phone book with his sound effects lady and the scene was then set in a 'church' with 'treadmills and gym equipment'

So memorable moments:

- Brad running on an out of control treadmill.

- Colin's burp vs Brad's burp (with a high C and mongoose mating {and a girly 'oh shit'})

- Throwing a rope over a statue of Mary to try and get the gym equipment into the gym - would definitely not offend or get complaints about that, said Brad.

- Brad 'shitting his pants twice' and having to shower. And why didn't he just 'piss on the fire' to put the fire out caused by the fireworks and hay barrels used for the Christmas nativity scene.

- Colin's attempt to call 911 emergency 'sorry you're in Australia'. Brad 'if only you knew the number!'

- No one could do the noise an elephant makes.

- The winners get a koala - they wanted to beat Ben Affleck from winning said koala.

- Brad playing the bagpipes and Colin playing a Beatles song on the accordion. (haha to Colin's remark how everyone knows at least one Beatles songs - or was it The Beetles =P That was made funny in song in the end game)

And onto "The World's Most Dangerous Improv Game" aka A-Z.

It's so funny because I found the same with this game on the DVD that I just didn't remember the point of the game - the A to Z. Start with the letter S, then the next sentence starts with T then U etc etc. I just focused on the mousetraps.

So without socks or shoes (and wearing blindfolds) Colin and Brad would do a scene 'suggested a crime thriller' (not porn - said Brad) walking around with 100 set mousetraps on the stage. On the DVD they had them also hanging from the ceiling, but not for our show.

Colin got the worst of it. Wherever he walked he seemed to run into a big patch of mousetraps. Many got stuck on his toes a number of times. Colin did cheat a little by taking off his blindfold and throwing them at Brad - he got his back, groin and his fingers too ouch! - to which Brad tried back but he still had his blindfold on and missed numerous times.

And Brad was so cute trying to copy our accent. Brad - 'Sorry. Truly I am jealous. It's so much better than an American accent' Bless.

'The World's Most Dangerous Improv Game'

They ended the show (wearing furry slippers) singing about 'Melbourne' to the tune of "My Way" by Frank Sinatra.It was a lovely song about all the games that they had played that night. I remember a few lines mainly Brad's 'Colin was the very meanest. He tried to throw mousetraps at my penis' To which Colin retorted that he never knew he could hit something so small. Brad replied, 'It's Huge!' (Why do I always remember the perverted stuff?!) Colin also mentioned his hatred towards 'stinkin' hoedowns' due to someone in the audience making a request for them to do one.

And then they left the stage to a standing ovation from the crowd.

My verdict of the show was that they are hilarious! I was laughing pretty much throughout the whole thing and I would highly recommend that everyone see the show. My only negatives would be that some of the games could have been a beat shorter (even to provide room for another game), repeat jokes (few, and you'd only notice if you've seen the DVD) and there was a lot of explaining (which, of course, can't be helped - but it does take up a lot of running time) which could be better spent on games. But the positives BY FAR out-way the negatives.

The show did feel like it went very quickly though - which I think always means you've enjoyed it. I'd recommend it and I'd see it again in a heartbeat (after all, every show is different)

Before the show, I had done a quick look see to find the stage door. If I see a show and I want to meet somebody, the stage door is usually the place to go. It's worked 99.9% of the times. I don't always stay back but if it's someone I would really like to meet, I always try to stay back. And as Colin and Brad were on my list of people I'd like to meet, of course I was going to.

Unfortunately, as the stage door, as in a very obvious place, a lot of people had the same idea. I don't like when a lot of people are around because you feel like you don't really have a change to have a bit of a chat. But, it is what it is. I give them props for being so lovely and open with their time. They seemed like they would stay as long as the crowd wanted them to unlike shows I've been to which the security guards say 'line up. no photos. they have ten minutes' etc etc.

As there was a crowd, Brad said maybe all of us line up so we would all get our chance. I wasn't nervous until it was our go. Other people were getting hugs so I thought I would too. I asked Colin and he said sure. It was such an awkward hug - at least on my end (haha). Then I turned to Brad and he said no - to which the crowd laughed. I said 'but you seem more cuddly' and he said he was like a koala. I sort of looked down - even though I knew it was a joke - (funny and awkwardly enough, my eye level was his chest hair - he's SO tall!) And then we hugged. And I will say to anyone reading this - HUG BRAD - he gives the best hugs!

And then we got a photo. My friend didn't know if the photos had worked so I took my phone and had a look at the photos and Brad looked down and said 'look how handsome I am'.

And that was basically it. I was really really nervous. I couldn't even think of something to say. Usually I'm better so who knows what was up with me.

It was a short and sweet meet and greet but I had a ball. I loved the show and I love how incredibly nice they both were. Go see their show. Seriously, you won't be disappointed!

PS. I hope they come back to Australia soon!

- PS. Once again, I don't share my celebrity photo ops, in case you were wondering ... -