Toronto Fringe Review: The Honeymoon Show - DANA + TIM = COMEDY

I’ve always thought that when you’re invited to a party as a couple, your only job is to make sure that when you leave someone will say “Oh, they’re fun.” 

This 100% is the vibe of Dana +Tim = Comedy. 

Dana Smith and Tim Gray are a married couple, and stand-up comedians. Both of these facts are so entwined that one clearly couldn’t exist without the other. I imagine that Dana +Tim = Comedy doesn’t differ too much from meeting them at a party and having them do bits til everyone loosens up.

Ably directed by Fringe veteran Stacey McGunnigle, Dana +Tim = Comedy straddles the line between storytelling and stand-up. Dana and Tim trade-off punchlines and set-ups offhandedly. It’s their show, they’ll riff if they want to. They have opposing yet complementary energies; Tim is slow and thoughtful, and Dana is energized and excited. They work, like many of the best comedy duos, as an exercise in opposites attract.

Dana +Tim = Comedy is incredibly casual. Lines aren’t stepped on or forgotten because the structure of the show is so loose. It’s a casual hang with friends who just happen to be incredibly funny. 

If there’s a through-line on the show, It’s about their relationship from their first date to now. I’ve seen them perform a few times in the past and they’re definitely audience favourites. I thought that maybe they’d try to adapt their normal routine in a more theatrical way, but I don’t think that’s their goal. They’re just happy to riff. 

Dana +Tim = Comedy is on now until July 16 as part of Toronto Fringe. Show times and tickets here.