Sam Wills, the Boy With Tape On His Face, unleashed every last adult’s inner child in Wellington’s Opera House in his latest routine, labelled More Tape.
Have you seen a building filled with people, all holding red balloons Last night I did. You forget about being sensible and looking like you’ve got all your faculties. Instead, you’re one of several hundred people armed with an inflatable device, laughing like a kid and ready to launch it at an unsuspecting audience member who’s had his head covered by a pillowcase.
When he was finally allowed to look, his eyes bulged. It was the funniest and most bizarre experience. The poor guy didn’t have a clue what was going on.
Until this point, nothing had really changed since I saw Wills perform last year. The skits were pretty much the same and those kissing oven mits looked familiar.
But – and this is a really important “but” – don’t get me wrong. There is something infectious about watching The Boy With Tape On His Face on stage, making people laugh and delivering a punch line without saying a word. Think Fred Dagg thrown into the silent movie era, only with more props. And colour. And you get to pelt people with balloons (yes – the inner child loved it!).
In fact, while the sketches haven’t changed noticeably, they’re still never the same. They depend entirely on the member of the audience whose help Wills has enlisted.
Last night his eyebrows were working overtime as he tried to show one young guy how to work a tape measure during a side-splitting skit. Sure the joke was from last year’s show, but watching this poor guy stuff it up repeatedly was hilarious – and Wills played along. He made it seem as if it was a brand-new routine. The audience loved it. I loved it.
Hell, if you can’t laugh at this then you’re probably dead.
You had to be there. If you weren’t, I feel sorry for you. Entertainment like this is rare; if you get the chance to see it make sure you seize that with both hands.
The Boy With Tape On His Face is hot property. Let’s just hope the Aussies don’t try to claim him.
Ad Feedback
–
