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Tape Face
fourty five downstairs
Melbourne Comedy Festival
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ four stars
Tape Face is the creation of New Zealand-born performer Sam Wills, who initially trained as a clown and busker before developing his silent comic persona. That now-legendary persona rose to global fame after a viral run on America’s Got Talent where his quirky, tape-sealed mouth, wide-eyed expressions and clever prop routines earned standing ovations and tens of millions of online views.
Tape Face returns to Australia after an absence of ten years to celebrate twenty years of comedy.
The audience is invited into a dark room with a minimal stage, and there a man sits, looking like
a cross between Beetlejuice and a hostage victim. His hair akimbo
and tape across his face looking rather bewildered.
As the show starts we are warned that audience participation is happening and if you don’t go along with things, well then you’re a bit of a dick.
What ensues is an hour of unhinged physical comedy, that borders on a fever dream of puppetry, movement and music to tie into a hilarious set of mini- skits. It’s hard to describe exactly what is going on, but each skit, whether it’s involving bubbles or an audience member throwing something at Tape Face, it’s hilarious.
One of the hardest things to do is physical comedy; even more so difficult when you remove speech, but in the style of Rowan Aitkenson’s Mr. Bean, Tape Face uses his expressions, namely his eyes, to convey emotion. He does this brilliantly, his eyes are particularly expressive which adds to the hilarity. It’s evident that he has developed this character with a lot of thought and sequences are well timed, using music as a tool to create drama and gain laughs. It’s been cleverly constructed to ensure that even at its most unhinged it’s funny.
As members of the audience are involved the entire time, the comedy takes on a new dimension. It’s a clever way to add engagement to the show, as people become part of the story- making the show that much funnier. It’s a bold but clever move which pays off time and time again.
If you’re after something a bit unique for this year’s Melbourne Comedy Festival, then Tape Face is a must- see. Original comedy at its best, a guaranteed laugh out loud show.
Tape Face is Now Showing
MELBOURNE | FORTYFIVEDOWNSTAIRS | 26 MARCH – 19 APRIL
BRISBANE | POWERHOUSE THEATRE | TUESDAY 21 APRIL
SYDNEY | DARLING QUARTRE THEATRE | WEDNESDAY 22 APRIL
PENRITH | THE JOAN | THURSDAY 23 APRIL
SYDNEY | FACTORY THEATRE | FRIDAY 24 APRIL
PERTH | THE RECHABITE | SUNDAY 26 APRIL
