SAM WILLS ‘HAS’ THE AUDIENCE FROM START TO FINISH |
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) Sam Wills: The Boy with Tape on his Face at The Classic, Auckland From 21 May 2007 to 26 May 2007 [1 hr] Reviewed by Jacob Powell, 23 May 2007 originally published in The Lumiere Reader |
How does someone with their mouth taped shut make you laugh? Is it through the kind of physical comedy reminiscent of old-time silent movies? God, please don't let it be an hour or so of straight mime!
But dammit if Sam Wills doesn't amble out onto stage on the opening night of his show, The Boy With Tape On His Face, dressed in a broad horizontal striped top that instantly puts you in mind of a French mime! That his accompanying (and routine filler) music was the soundtrack to the Jean-Pierre Jeunet film Amélie reinforced this association.
But Wills has taken the challenge of reworking mime by the horns to produce a show that is fresh, entertaining, and has an obvious point of difference to many of the other acts at this year's festival. [Read more]
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Sian Robertson