The Upcoming
  • Cinema & Tv
    • Movie reviews
    • Film festivals
      • Berlin
      • Tribeca
      • Sundance London
      • Cannes
      • Locarno
      • Venice
      • London
      • Toronto
    • Show reviews
  • Music
    • Live music
  • Food & Drinks
    • News & Features
    • Restaurant & bar reviews
    • Interviews & Recipes
  • Theatre
  • Art
  • Travel & Lifestyle
  • Literature
  • Fashion & Beauty
    • Accessories
    • Beauty
    • News & Features
    • Shopping & Trends
    • Tips & How-tos
    • Fashion weeks
      • London Fashion Week
      • London Fashion Week Men’s
      • New York Fashion Week
      • Milan Fashion Week
      • Paris Fashion Week
      • Haute Couture
  • Join us
    • Editorial unit
    • Our writers
    • Join the team
    • Join the mailing list
    • Support us
    • Contact us
  • Competitions
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • Instagram

  • YouTube

  • RSS

CultureTheatre

Tape Face at the Garrick Theatre

Tape Face at the Garrick Theatre | Theatre review
8 June 2017
The editorial unit
Avatar
The editorial unit
8 June 2017

Finally, the long-established persona of Tape Face comes to the West End. Sam Wills, previously The Boy with Tape on His Face, is known globally as a manic mime artist, with kohl-edged eyes, a stereotypical striped shirt and a knack for transforming household objects into comedy gold. This performance provides a solid showcase for his trademark humour and is unlike any other – except, perhaps, Tape Face’s previous acts.

The piece relies heavily on audience participation, which can be wearing when the mime artist disappears into the crowd in search of a victim for the umpteenth time, leaving the audience staring at the faded dressing room on stage. Once he returns, however, he utilises dusters, flyswatters, bells and many other items imaginatively to transform his amusingly bewildered participants into bulls, duelling cowboys and characters from iconic film scenes. Although this can be a lengthy process, the moment the participant realises their role is priceless – particularly in the case of a man dressed as a builder who found himself alone on stage when Tom Jones’s You Can Leave Your Hat On began to play – and the resulting skits are often hilarious.

As funny as this is, the show’s core strength lies in Tape Face’s own acting. He is a consistently magnetic presence on stage, who switches between mocking particularly hapless participants and inciting childlike amusement in the comedic possibilities of objects.

However, Will’s use of these objects can become repetitive – like the skits that involve the modification of household items into lip-syncing puppets, which is entertaining the first time but ultimately becomes predictable. Fans of Tape Face will already know his formula (and several of his acts) and, even if one comes to this spectacle never having heard of him before, at around two hours and 20 minutes the running time ensures that one soon becomes familiar with it.

The length of the performance feels excessive and, compared with the engaging content and pace of the first half, the second drags a little despite its shorter duration. The communal conclusion is, however, the perfect note to end on – playful yet clever, it sums up a show that is worth seeing for the unique perspective Wills brings to bear on the world around him.

★★★★★

Cara Atkinson
Photo: Matt Crockett

Tape Face is at the Garrick Theatre from 6th June until 23rd July 2017, for further information or to book visit here. 

Watch the trailer for Type Face here: 

Please accept YouTube cookies to play this video. By accepting you will be accessing content from YouTube, a service provided by an external third party.

YouTube privacy policy

If you accept this notice, your choice will be saved and the page will refresh.

Related Itemsreview

More in Theatre

The Father and the Assassin at the National Theatre

★★★★★
Natallia Pearmain
Read More

Dirty Dancing the Movie in concert at Apollo Theatre

★★★★★
Jim Compton-Hall
Read More

My Fair Lady at the London Coliseum

★★★★★
Michael Higgs
Read More

“When you’re presented with different dilemmas in life, you respond accordingly”: Debbie Kurup on The Cher Show

Mae Trumata
Read More

2:22 A Ghost Story at Criterion Theatre

★★★★★
Michael Higgs
Read More

The House of Shades at Almeida Theatre

★★★★★
Csilla Tornallyay
Read More

Grease at Dominion Theatre

★★★★★
Cristiana Ferrauti
Read More

House of Ife at Bush Theatre

★★★★★
Selina Begum
Read More

Banter Jar at Lion & Unicorn Theatre: “An authentic and timely one-woman show”

★★★★★
Jessica Wall
Read More
Scroll for more
Tap

Theatre review

The editorial unit

Tape Face

★★★★★

Dates

6th June - 23rd July 2017

Price

£20.75-£64.50

Links & directions

TwitterInstagramFacebookWebsiteMap

  • Popular

  • Latest

  • TOP PICKS

  • My Fair Lady at the London Coliseum
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • The Father and the Assassin at the National Theatre
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Plan 75
    ★★★★★
    Cannes
  • More than Ever (Plus que Jamais)
    ★★★★★
    Cannes
  • Lykke Li – EYEYE
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • Moonage Daydream
    ★★★★★
    Cannes
  • Stephen Fry enters the Radio Times Hall of Fame in conversation with Alan Yentob at the BFI Imax
    Cinema & Tv
  • Layering masters: How to make authentically delicious lasagne
    Food & Drinks
  • The Five Devils (Les Cinq Diables)
    ★★★★★
    Cannes
  • “Love is a relationship between two people where they show who they really are”: Press conference with the team behind Decision to Leave
    Cannes
  • Moonage Daydream
    ★★★★★
    Cannes
  • Crimes of the Future
    ★★★★★
    Cannes
  • Decision to Leave (Heojil Kyolshim)
    ★★★★★
    Cannes
  • Boy from Heaven (Walad Min Al Janna)
    ★★★★★
    Cannes
  • The Princess of Shoreditch in Shoreditch: “Ruth Hansom will only cook with the freshest and finest”
    Food & Drinks
The Upcoming
Pages
  • Contact us
  • Join mailing list
  • Join us
  • Our London food map
  • Our writers
  • Support us
  • What, when, why
With the support from:
International driving license

Copyright © 2011-2020 FL Media

Working at Southwark Playhouse | Theatre review
Frankie Oliver at the 100 Club | Live review