OneTouch Theatre, Eden Court, Inverness, 4 June 2012

THE DROLL Northern comedian, Bernard Manning, one said, “Once you are on stage all you’ve got is that,” pointing to his mouth.

SAM WILLS has taken the comedian’s most potent weapon, a lethal and often expletive filled mouth, and taped it shut. On Monday night at Eden Court I was curious to see if a defenceless comedian could survive.

The Boy With Tape On His Face

Surprisingly Wills proved that he was well able to last the pace with his silent act. In the Boy with Tape on his Face, Wills returns to the roots of comedy and takes us back to the era of silent films when Chaplin proved that you don’t have to utter a word to be funny.

Despite forsaking the ability to speak, Wills used a wide variety of devices to articulate his speech. There was puppetry as he created Louis Armstrong out of a plastic box and brought half a dozen or so characters cleverly back to life in a show that constantly moved from one surreal set up to the next.

There were times when he used mime to illustrate his comedy in an act that was often funny and frequently charming in the way Wills was able to delight his audience with small pieces of mimicry. Buster Keaton was a master of conveying emotion with merely a glance and Wills has some of Keaton’s skill in this respect.

It was the moments when Will’s eyes conveyed terror and frustration from behind a few inches of tape that were the most hilarious. The plight of an entertainer struggling to convey meaning to a bewildered audience as he was denied the gift of speech was inherently funny and Wills exploited this situation brilliantly.

Audience participation was a major feature of the show and Wills brought up a number of hapless audience members who then submitted to ritual, if good natured, humiliation by allowing Wills to dress them up and act out various scenarios, including one from the film The Fully Monty. It was when he involved the audience in his on-stage antics that Wills was at his best.

The audience in Eden Court’s One Touch Theatre, which was surprisingly full for such an offbeat comedian on a Monday, thoroughly enjoyed watching their fellow theatre goers dragged up on stage and asked to perform increasingly bizarre acts. This was made all the funnier when mimed instructions were misunderstood and chaos threatened to break out.

Wills is essentially a Vaudeville act who injects a great deal of variety into and well thought out and beautifully performed routines. Parts of the show delighted in simply being ridiculous, and Wills reminds all of us that, at times, there is great value in releasing the mischievous child in all of us and simply letting him play.

Wills was supported by comedian Phil Buckley who had an amiable style and quickly launched into a variety of increasingly fantastic tales. Buckley is a veteran of a number of Edinburgh fringe shows and a busy and active comedian and this made it all the more surprising when he never really found his pace with the Eden Court audience.

Buckley told a succession of overly long stories that stretched the credibility of the audience. He got a polite response, with a few laughs, but never managed to engage with the entire audience at any one time. Buckley’s own admission, in his opening lines, “I’m the one you’re not here to see,” didn’t help the situation as it gave the impression that the comedian himself didn’t feel comfortable.

If Buckley had taken a little more time to engage with the audience, before launching into prepared material, he might have fared a little better. After a few gags failed to get the response he expected Buckley beat a hasty retreat. Rather than quitting when he was ahead the comedian left before he was too far behind and the audience were somewhat confused by a sudden interval after only around 20 minutes.

To be fair to Buckley the traditional formula of a short warm up act followed by the main event did not sit easily with Wills’ surreal act. The Boy with Tape on his Face, when he appeared after the interval, performed an act that, although still good comedy, was closer to theatre than stand up and the audience were not expecting the show to be opened by a more mainstream performer. The audience were not there for stand up and that perhaps did not allow Buckley the proper hearing he deserved.

Wills performance is a unique act and, for those who are willing to take a chance with their comedy, was a welcome change from the usual formulaic stand up. The Boy with Tape on his Face provided a great evening of entertainment with some very special comedy moments and provided an unusual and memorable evening of surreal laughter.

© John Burns, 2012

Links

• The Boy With Tape On His Face
• John Burns