Candy & Smiley

Ed Hill performs without a microphone, sitting level with an audience of exactly six people. Filmed during the pandemic inside a spacious gymnasium in Vancouver, this debut hour does away with the usual theater stage, bright spotlights, and booming laugh track. Instead, Hill sits in a circle with his closest friends and family, delivering what feels less like a traditional stand-up routine and more like a support group meeting where only one person is allowed to talk.

The special gets its title from his parents, who chose English names when they immigrated to Canada from Taiwan when Hill was ten. He explains that his mother picked Candy after the dessert, while his father went with Smiley—a naming choice Hill disputes since the man almost never smiles. From there, Hill moves through slow-paced stories about his family, the death of a childhood pet turtle, and fixing a broken washing machine. It is a conversational, slow-burning hour that focuses on the quiet friction of the first-generation immigrant experience rather than chasing quick punchlines.

Released in 2021 by Comedy Dynamics, the special stood out for its stark departure from standard stand-up formats. Rather than trying to replicate a rowdy comedy club in an empty room, Hill leaned into the awkwardness of the pandemic’s restrictions, earning praise from outlets like Paste Magazine for his patient storytelling.