EDINBURGH FRINGE 2017: Tape Face ★★★★★

Tape Face

The Grand, Pleasance Courtyard

Sunday 27th August 2017

Having risen to fame after appearing on America’s Got Talent back in 2016, Sam Wills, or Tape Face, as most people will know him, he has been considered one of the world’s top comedy artists in recent years. After a run at the Garrick Theatre in London earlier this year in July, Tape Face arrives at The Edinburgh Fringe, where he brings what is hands down the funniest piece of comedy theatre I have ever witnessed.

The laughs for this show were instant and carried on throughout the performance in a laugh-a-minute format. From a foreshadow of a future material with a track from The Journey, Plate Spinning, or a rendition of ‘Don’t blame it on the Boogie’ from Jackson 5, the production is cleverly put together whilst set within a dressing room on stage. Some of the routines on stage are so perfectly planned out that they become reoccurring throughout the show; one audience member's sole purpose was to be humiliated by Tape Face as he simply walked on stage to then be ushered back to his seat by the comedian. Something that was just so simple like this got huge laughs every time because it came when you may least expect it, or more so the fact that the participant was so willy to be taken the mickey out of. This particular gentleman in this performance also became the highlight of the show when he was involved, as was the whole 750 filled auditorium, in the climax of the performance.

Simplicity really was the key though to this production, and the 70 minute show fell by simply due to how much I think Tape Face interacted with the audience, and it really was at times the chosen audience members involved in sequences who made the performance the huge success that it was, I mean where else will you find a game of golf being played by simply using a ping pong ball, hairdryer, a dustpan taped to a broom, and two audience members involved. Other parts had two seemingly unrelated sequences involving flowers, a horn, and a tutu, combined to create a beautifully inspired piece of comedy genius!

Overall, Tape Face is what I would say the funniest show I have witnessed this year alone and will be a production that I’ll be talking about for a very long time - I seriously urge anyone who doubts that a man with tape on his face cannot hold an audience's attention to purchase a ticket for themselves and be truly bowled over!