Celebrating 20 years in the business, The Boy With Tape on his Face, these days known simply as ‘Tape Face’, is back where it all began at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival for a short run at the large and well-known Pleasance Grand.

Brain child and alter ego of comedian Sam Wills, ‘Tape Face’ proves that sometimes, silence speaks louder than words.

Wills has created the perfect clown. His mouth laden with a black line of gaffer tape, Tape Face gives us 60 minutes of non-verbal, pure clean variety.

As the audience enter, he sits on the stage looking out for his ‘victims’ and surveying the room. Clad in his signature black and white stripes with shoulder bag full of silly props, the show whizzes along with zany ideas and hysterical sketches.

Wills playful nature is a joy to watch. His expression from just his wide eyes alone is simply hilarious and his exquisite comic timing shows throughout. He has the audience in the palm of his hands and volunteers chosen randomly from the busy crowd are always keen to join in and play with him on stage. It was an especially nice touch that Wills chooses audience members from the back of the auditorium and not just the front few rows. No one here is safe!

‘Tape Face: 20’ transports us to a whimsical world of new and old material from his fabulous archive. Each segment is a new adventure and favourite moments include playing swingball from helmets, a ballet dancing routine where he marries off two audience members and a blindfolded attempt to catch a tennis ball shot from a Nerf gun. Such crazy ideas leave you wondering how they ever came about in the first place. No normal mind could have created these – Wills is clearly a master of imagination and clowning, transforming mundane, everyday objects into the extraordinary. There’s also a strong sound and lighting design to the show to match.

A masterclass in silent comedy, ‘Tape Face: 20’ delivers hilarious visual gags crafted with precision and creativity leading to a barrage of laughter. Let’s hope the legacy continues for another 20 years…

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