As a genuine YouTube sensation, TV talent show star, and with a Las Vegas residency, Tape Face is a comedy rock god but he isn’t here to play the hits; this is an hour of brand new whimsical material that doesn’t stray far from what you’d expect from this unique act and yet has some delightfully baffling moments.
Tape Face is a comedy rock god
The stage is strewn with boxes and props and Tape Face is quick to dive into them and get things rolling but first there’s a bit of business with the phone. There’s something a little dark here and, initially I wonder if there’s going to be a narrative behind the piece. There isn’t; it’s simply an interesting thematic device that recurs throughout the show and has a lovely pay-off at the end.
For a performer who is incapable of speech or any vocal sounds, Tape Face does an amazing job of working the crowd. Those huge, kohl-ringed eyes of his seek out willing volunteers to simply play along with him and everyone is keen to join in. This show is all about play and the new sketches are simple, low production skits that occasionally telegraph the punchline but never fail to entertain. Audience members leap to their feet and dance on command. Nerf guns are fired, and men are stacked atop each other for a bit of ballast required to serve up a simple gag.
There’s perhaps a little less wonder in this show that his previous material. Tape Face has always had a talent for finding imaginative ways to utilise seemingly mundane items but here, a lot of the prop comedy sees things being used much as you’d expect with the humour coming from the setup and payoff. It’s still hilarious though; Tape Face is without compare in what he does (in that he’s the only one doing it) and this hour of entertainment shows that whimsy will never go out of style.
