Audience entranced at Hypno Comedy show

ORMONDE – The audience was in stitches as the veteran hypnotist worked his magic on volunteers at the first show of a two-month special.

Veteran hypnotist and comedy guru Alain D Woolf performed at the launch of Joe Parker’s new Wednesday show hosted by Gold Reef City to an audience of special guests and the media.

Even though there were sceptics in the crowd, an air of curiosity occupied the comedy theatre with many eager to give hypnotism a try. Needless to say all doubts were laid to rest when ten audience volunteers took to the stage for their first experience under the command of a professional hypnotist.

A married couple from Glenvista, Percy and Marge Jackson, attended the show as part of their 42-year anniversary and seemed to be enjoying every moment of the show.

The audience watched in amusement as the volunteers were put to sleep and thereafter, subjected to hilarious antics, which much to the expectation of many, did not result in humiliation for those who seemed to be functioning in another world in their subconscious mind.

Alain D Woolf told of what people could expect when coming to one of his shows. “This is my first hypnotist show although I’ve headlined as comedian. We want to introduce Wednesday night at 20:00 as a regular hypnotist night that people can rely on. We’re looking at a two-month period to evaluate where we go.

“One thing about hypnotist shows is that I never frighten the audience, I ask for volunteers and I let them come up voluntarily. I also keep an eye on the kind of person on stage and if someone is extremely shy, I will not take them beyond their latitude of discomfort, that’s one of the things I strive to do.

“I always add a touch of comedy to hypno, I can’t help it. Here’s a typical scenario of what the audience can expect: I will tell them, ‘You will fall in love with the hair of the person on your left, but the person on your right stinks and you don’t like them touching you so you’re going to push their hand away’.”

Woolf says that not all the volunteers will be hypnotised at the same time, which will give each of them a chance to see what the others get up to when they’re under his command.