★★★
It’s no lie to say that in “Mysteries and Lies,” magician James Alan pulls off some truly astonishing sleight-of-hand tricks. In his hour-long set, he makes coins supernaturally bend, cards disappear and reappear, and precious rings from members of the audience seemingly interlock.
These are all classic illusions that have been performed time and again. Some of the more common ones — like a cups and balls routine toward the beginning of the show — didn’t particularly work for me. As well, the poor sight lines in the Sweet Action Theatre makes it hard to follow some of Alan’s more intricate tricks.
But does a fine job of ramping up the stakes with each successive trick. He’s also such a magnetic presence on stage that, by the end, it’s impossible not to be enraptured by his magic.
-Joshua Chong, Senior Arts Critic