Ed Hill has always looked on the funny side of life.
Whether it’s about navigating middle school or reflecting on his relationship with his father, the comedian does his best to connect with every audience. The most valuable thing an audience member can give him is their time, he said.
“I think that, for me, success is people willing to spend the time with me and listening,” Hill said. “That’s all I can ask for. Anything else is a bonus.”
Hill will perform two back-to-back shows in 100 Mile House Feb. 20 at the South Cariboo Theatre. Tickets are on sale for both shows, starting at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. They cost $25 at the door or $20 if purchased in advance.
Hill said he chose 100 Mile as a stop because he enjoys smaller communities and he has never been here before.
Joining Hill on stage in 100 Mile will be Dom Olivera. Hill said Olivera’s high-energy style of comedy is more “out there” than his own introspective comedy, which began while he was studying at Simon Fraser University.
After a stint as a nightclub DJ, which Hill said was too much to handle, he discovered an extracurricular comedy class. The class was designed to help aspiring comedians create five minutes’ worth of material. He read a bunch of books on stand-up to prepare and decided to write his set before he even attended class.
“I remember both the teachers and the students in the class were like ‘why are you here, you’re wasting everyone’s time and you’re making us feel bad,’” Hill recalled. “One of the classmates I got to be friends with was just like ‘when you came in, everyone was like, is this guy a plant? Did the teacher plant this guy so we’d try harder?’”
Despite this somewhat rocky start, Hill said he quickly discovered a love for comedy, especially getting an instant reaction from his audience. Whenever he tells a joke, he knows immediately if it works, unlike a writer or filmmaker, who have to wait months at times for feedback.
“Stand-up is one of those rare things where you can write something that day and get feedback from the audience.”
Hill said he has come to enjoy the introspective nature of his comedy. Telling jokes has helped him discover who he is and explore fears, triumphs and his relationships, especially with his father.
“I immigrated to Vancouver when I was 10 under the impression I was going on vacation, that’s what my dad told us. So 27 years later I’m still on vacation.”
patrick.davies@100milefreepress.net
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.