A MAN OF NO WORDS
Tape Face bringing his unique brand of comedy to State Theatre on Friday
Following in the footsteps of his successful Las Vegas residency, silent comedian and “America’s Got Talent” finalist, Tape Face (Sam Wills) is bringing his unique brand of comedy and weirdness to the State Theatre Center for The Arts in Easton on Friday.
Using simple, yet clever, humor and an abundance of props, Wills has created a character that takes the best elements of silent film comedy and combines it with the magic and puppetry into one whimsical, interactive experience. His curious approach to everyday objects like balloons and oven mitts invokes the inner child, while his appearance and style conjures up images of Tim Burton and the nostalgia of ’80s music, arcade video game cabinets and classic cartoons.
As his name suggests, Tape Face performs with a strip of black tape covering his mouth, but that doesn’t diminish the popularity he has with audiences. On the contrary, his “America’s Got Talent” audition and subsequent performances have, to date, garnered a staggering 47 million views.
I recently spoke with Sam Wills (Tape Face) about what to expect from his performance at the State Theatre, the origin of Tape Face and more in this new interview.
Q: How would you interpret your style of comedy? Sam Wills:
The best way to describe it is standup comedy without talking. I was a standup comedian back in the day so I use the same traits and the same tricks. I just apply it to silent comedy by using music and props. When people ask me what to expect I always like to tell them the weirdest stuff, like you can expect me to fight Darth Vader, bring John Lennon back to life and we’ll have a big balloon fight at the end of the night [laughs]. The show is exactly the same as the [Las] Vegas show, with all of the same bells and whistles. If you like standup comedy, you’ll like my show.
Q: How did the character of Tape Face originate? A:
Back in 2005 was when I first picked it up. Before that I used to do a show where I actually talked too much. Back then I’d do circus, sideshow, and carny stunts like hammering nails up my nose, eating light bulbs, breathing fire and other weird routines. During that time, I was lucky enough to have written a show called “Dance Monkey Dance” that won the biggest comedy award in New Zealand. After I had won that award, I decided to challenge myself and do the exact opposite of what I’d been doing, so the challenge became to come up with a silent character who does nothing.
Q: And how did that evolve into Tape Face? A: I didn’t have tape on my face the first time I