Legendary Canadian improv comedian Colin Mochrie and master hypnotist Asad Mecci will be turning Stratford and area residents into temporary members of Mochrie’s improv troupe when the pair brings their Hyprov: Improv Under Hypnosis show to Stratford’s Avon Theatre in January.

Planned as a fundraiser for the Stratford Arts and Culture Collective (SACC) on Jan. 19, 2023, Hyprov will offer a completely unique theatre experience as Mecci transfixes volunteers from the audience, some of whom will continue on stage to improvise with Mochrie while still under hypnosis.

“We went to see Colin and Asad in their show in January of 2020, just before he pandemic hit,” said SACC co-chair Chris Leberg. “I’ve always been skeptical of hypnotism and then I watched this show, which is absolutely hysterical. (Asad) starts with about 20 people and then he eliminates the people who he doesn’t feel would be the best to be hypnotized. So it gets down to four or five people, then they remain on the stage and Colin comes out and does improv with them.

“The people were totally hypnotized; no idea what they were doing. At the end of the show we went down to talk to them about coming to Stratford to do it for SACC. We passed this young fellow in the aisle. His friends were saying, ‘Then you did this, then you did that,’ and he was like, ‘What are you talking about?’ ”

According to Leberg, Mochrie — who performed in Stratford with fellow Whose Line Is It Anyway? star Brad Sherwood in support of the SACC a few years — was happy to return to the Festival City again to support the SACC’s goal of providing a space for local arts and culture groups and independent artists at Copperlight, formerly Knox Presbyterian Church, in downtown Stratford.

“We were just able to get the stars to line up,” Leberg said. “They are finishing their New York City, off-Broadway run in mid-January and then they’re heading back to Canada. ” … (Colin) is a very big supporter of our group here in Stratford and what we’re trying to do, so when the call went out it was like, ‘Sure, let’s line up a date.’ ”

As the owner of Copperlight, BMI Group, continues to renovate the 1914 heritage building so it can continue to be used for worship and community events by generations to come, Leberg said the money raised through the Hyprov show and other recent SACC fundraisers will be put towards the purchase of new lighting and sound equipment.

“It just allows us to keep pushing the project forward,” Leberg said. “We’ve just had 250 chairs arrive. It’s exciting because the pews are going to come out and there’s going to be chairs that we can rearrange and move around depending on what the space is being used for. … It’s a big undertaking in a beautiful, old building … that has its strengths and weaknesses. So we’ve had to work with a lot of various consultants to help guide us down the path so we’re not wasting time and money.”

While the space at Copperlight has been rented out for a few community events in recent months, Leberg said SACC expects to be able to start renting out the space in earnest by next fall. Though the vision for the performance space in the church sanctuary won’t be fully realized by that point, she said it should be ready for use by local arts and culture groups.

To purchase tickets for Hyprov: Improv Under Hypnosis, which begins at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 19, 2023, visit www.stratfordfestival.ca.

By Galen Simmons for www.stratfordbeaconherald.com.

The tour continues in February:

• Feb 9: Flato Academy Theatre, Lindsay

• Feb 10: Richmond Hill Centre, Richmond Hill

• Feb 11: Chrysler Theatre, Windsor

• Feb 15: Sanderson Centre, Brantford

• Feb 16: Rose Theatre, Brampton

• Feb 17: Oakville Centre, Oakville

• Feb 18: Capitol Theatre, Chatham

• Feb 23: River Run Centre, Guelph

• Feb 24: Capitol Centre, North Bay

• Feb 25: National Arts Centre, Ottawa