The Boy With Tape On His Face review

It wouldn't work if he didn't have such extraordinary eyes. The Boy With Tape on his Face - let's call him T-Boy - is exactly that, a chap so dedicated to saying nothing that he's closed his hole with a slab of black masking tape. There he is as you walk in, looking you over, followed by an ominous pre-show announcement about audience participation.

Yes, it's big on that. If you fear looking foolish in front of an audience you may want to steer clear of this one, as T-Boy knows what he's looking for and isn't one for arguing the toss about your potential co-operation (well, he can't really). Once he's picked you, he's got you.

The show really revolves around music, as T-Boy (actually New Zealander Sam Wills) creates elaborate situations, revelling in the lengthy build-up like a mute Rolf Harris, that suddenly make sense when a popular tune fills the room. There follows some bad dancing, a love scene and a few film homages, all involving members of the audience who exhibit varying degrees of enthusiasm, but always get up anyway. There's something about his faintly autistic, wild-eyed enthusiasm that just can't be denied.

It's painfully funny, and so inventive that you can't recall why you ever bothered going to see common-or-garden stand-ups. In fact the only thing stopping this show from getting a solid five is a slight uneasy feeling about some of those musical numbers, particularly an afro-sporting Jackson 5 pastiche that's just a little too close to the blacked-up routine that rightly riled Harry Connick Jnr on that Aussie talent show a few months back.

Perhaps T-Boy just likes his soul music but there are a few other, similar pastiches that if he tried on TV might just cause a minor shitstorm. Perhaps not in Australia, though, no.

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The Boy With Tape On His Face listing