Tape Face Live
With his electric-shock hairstyle, striped shirt and strip of black tape across his mouth, the performer known as Tape Face can't help but leave an impression on audiences. Yet what makes this modern-day master of mime and comedy truly remarkable is the wonder, whimsy and weirdness that fill his one-of-a-kind performances.
Tape Face's appearances on America's Got Talent in 2016 introduced wider audiences to this New Zealand talent. Tape Face is the creation of Sam Wills, who began his performing career as an aspiring clown while a teenager. Drawing from his love of circus, vaudeville and prop comedy, he developed a character that took the art of mime in bold new directions. A hit at the Melbourne Comedy Festival in 2008, Wills' show The Boy with Tape on His Face marked the first major success for the stage persona that he'd later present at such events as the BBC Comedy Prom at London's Royal Albert Hall.
Shortening his name to Tape Face, Wills became one of the standout performers on season 11 of America's Got Talent, advancing to the finals without ever speaking a word. The viral success of his performances led to his first headlining appearances on the Las Vegas Strip. After two hit limited engagements, he began a multiyear residency at Harrah's Las Vegas in 2018. Visitors to the specially built House of Tape will discover a show like nothing else on the Strip.
Tape Face Background
A modern-day master of mime and comedy, Tape Face is the silent stage alter ego of New Zealand's Sam Wills. Wills' signature creation began in his youth in the town of Timaru, where he studied the art of clowning and other performance traditions. After moving to the Christchurch area and establishing himself in New Zealand's comedy scene, he combined elements of circus performing, vaudeville, and prop and shock comedy to create his unique brand of entertainment.
In 2008, Wills introduced Australian audiences to the instantly indelible title character of The Boy with Tape on His Face, a show that became a breakout at the Melbourne Comedy Festival. He also gained fans in the U.K. when he performed the character on TV shows and at live events such as the BBC Comedy Prom in London's Royal Albert Hall and the iconic Royal Variety Performance.
Tape Face's hilarious routines and feats on season 11 of America's Got Talent made Wills' creation a viral phenomenon and an international sensation. On the heels of his AGT performances and his live and TV appearances in many countries, Wills came to Las Vegas for two hit engagements at Harrah's Las Vegas in 2017. The following year, he began his residency at the specially built House of Tape.
