KEY POINTS:
Making a room full of people laugh is no mean feat. Making a room full of people laugh for an entire hour, without uttering a single word, is near impossible.
Yet that is exactly what Sam Wills did last night.
Quite literally the Boy With Tape On His Face, Wills performed his hour-long routine with a large strip of duct tape covering his mouth.
Relying on mime, facial expressions, props and audience participation, Wills delivered the most experimental act of the Comedy Festival with resounding success.
A carefully thought-out soundtrack and lighting system, along with superb timing, gave the evening a theatrical quality rarely seen in comedy shows.
In the tradition of Mr Bean, the humour in Wills' show came as much from the preparation as from the punchlines, as he painstakingly set up each gag.
Audience participation plays a major role in Wills comedy and last night's crowd should be commended for playing along.
As three male audience members cautiously took the stage, not even Wills could have predicted just how funny they would be, re-enacting The Jackson Five's Blame It On The Boogie dance moves.
Clever, alternative and genuinely entertaining, Wills is a breath of fresh air to the Comedy Festival line up.
* Sam Wills is at The Classic until Saturday May 26
