Random thoughts about James Alan's show "Mysteries and Lies" at the Toronto Fringe

  Mysteries and Lies  

• Tickets:  
  https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/show/mysteries-and-lies

 

 Yesterday, we ventured to the Sweet Action Theatre in Toronto.

• This was our first visit to this theatre which is located in the Artscape Youngplace.  According to the Youngplace website, they are "Fully accessible by Ontario standards."
• The internet suggested parking in the area was scarce (roughly Dundas St. West and Ossington) so we braved the TTC.  The Ossington 63 south takes you to within a 4 minute walk of the theatre.
• As James revealed in his June 5th interview with us, the theatre is a cozy space, with a capacity of 46 seats (with raked seating). Every seat has a great view of the action.  There are seats reserved in the front row, for audience members who have accessibility issues.
• The theatre is air-conditioned (very welcome with the current heat wave).
• The show is approximately an hour in length, with no intermissions.

On with the show: 

• In a theatre this size, you get a good view from every seat.  The closer you sit, however, the greater the astonishment! 
• As teased in his interview, Mysteries and Lies is completely different from any of James' other shows we've had the pleasure to attend.
• Much to our dismay, there was no wine bottle nor were there citrus-y 'arts and crafts.'
• Without giving too much away, the show did involve glassware, coins, cards, cups, balls, jewellery, envelopes, and a condiment.
• There was plenty of audience participation.  Four lucky audience members were able to sit at the table with James, scoring better-than-front row seating.  (It should be noted that consent was obtained, and no one was forced to sit at the table.)  In addition to those four, another seven or eight people from the audience contributed to the uniqueness of the show. 
• The show touched on history, astronomy, astrology, biology, physics, and pop culture.  There was even a Browser's Den of Magic Easter egg, if you were paying attention.  (This was possibly unique to opening night.)  
• While we have seen more than our share of Cups and Balls routines, we have never seen anything quite like the one in this show! 
• Last week we saw a sneak peek of James performing one of the card effects, and we had no idea how he did it.  At the show we were sitting roughly 4.5 metres (~15 feet) away and are no closer to determining the method. 
• James performed excellent sleight of hand with a wide variety of objects.  This was so much more than a 'card magic' show.  (But the card magic in it, is excellent!) 

 

"Mysteries and Lies" is our favourite James Alan production to date! 

Disclosure:  We were guests at this show. The opinions expressed above are entirely our own. We did not receive compensation for the writing or the publishing of this article.

 

Don't just take our word for it, read what Teena in Toronto had to say about it in her June 30th Instagram post. 

 

For more information about the Toronto Fringe, visit FringeToronto.com

 

  Mysteries and Lies  

• Tickets:  
  https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/show/mysteries-and-lies

 

For more information about James Alan, visit his website at JamesAlan.ca and follow him on Facebook and Instagram.

 

From the July 1st Instagram post by Canada's Magic (photos taken with permission): 

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Toronto: Magic at The Toronto Fringe [Jun 30 - Jul 12]

Updated June 29th to add:

•  On June 28th, James was interviewed by Donna G on CIUT’s The More the Merrier to talk about Mysteries and Lies.  Learn more about it at the June 29th post, The More the Merrier, at James Alan's blog.

-- 

The Toronto Fringe (June 30 - July 12) is fast approaching!    

 

  Tickets:   

• James Alan's Mysteries and Lies:  
  https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/show/mysteries-and-lies
  
  
• Keith Brown's 110% Wizard:
  https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/show/110-wizard

 

 

Here's what we know about the shows: 

• James Alan's Mysteries and Lies 
  
  • Watch James' June 3rd appearance on CP 24 
    
    
  • Listen to David Peck interview James in the June 19th podcast "Truth, Technology & the Art of Deception" episode 634 of Face2Face, where "They talk about creativity, philosophical issues surrounding truth, illusion and lived experience and explore the intersection of magic, AI, and technology and how their performance challenges perceptions of reality."
    
    
  • From the June 3rd post "Fringe Five 2026" from Stage Door Dialogues: 
    There are forty-five seats per performance. And we decided to take advantage of that intimacy to get up close and personal with the audience. Inspired by magicians from Spain and Argentina, we have members of the audience on stage the entire show. They make the magic happen as much as I do. We’re giving up a lot of control and a lot of certainty. It also means each show will be different and anything can happen. 
    Read more.
    
    
  • From the June 18th post "Toronto Fringe Festival 2026" by YoungW:
    We’re interested in building work that crosses boundaries: theatre, mystery, storytelling, magic, literature, and old-fashioned showmanship. We want to make live events that feel rare – the kind of thing you had to be there for.
    Read more.
    
    
  • And our interview with James  
  
  

 

• Keith Brown's 110% Wizard  
  • From the May 18th article "Review: HIGHER THAN RAINBOWS, 110% WIZARD, and YOUNGER US at The Orlando Fringe Festival" by Benoit Teves at Broadway World:
    Fortunately, the cruise ship staff gathered enough miscellaneous items for Brown to cobble together a performance of basic yet dazzling illusions, a few of which still grace the Orlando stage this go-round.
    Read more.
    
    
  • From the May 13th article "Orlando Fringe 2026 review: ‘110% Wizard’" by Seth Kubersky at Orlando Weekly:
    If you have any doubts that Orlando Fringe changes lives, look no further than illusionist Keith Brown. A fixture of the Festival for over a decade, Brown landed an agent as a result of his 2024 show here, and is now an in-demand guest artist aboard Norwegian and Virgin cruise ships. 
    Read more.
    
    
  • From the May 15th article "2026 Orlando Fringe Review: 110% Wizard" by Jimbo Wood at Orlando Shine:
    Brown, a familiar face to Orlando Fringe audiences and a three-time Critic’s Choice winner for Best Magic Show, returns with what he jokingly describes as the “same wizard, now 10% better.” The framing device for this year’s show centers around a cruise ship residency thrown into chaos after an airline loses the costumes and props intended for the run.
    Read more.
    
    
    
  • And our interview with Keith  

 

For more information about the Toronto Fringe, visit FringeToronto.com

 

  Tickets:   

• James Alan's Mysteries and Lies:  
  https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/show/mysteries-and-lies
  
  
• Keith Brown's 110% Wizard:
  https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/show/110-wizard

 

 

 

 

 

Toronto: The Comedy Magic Show [Jun 25]

Tickets and more information at Eventbrite. 

 

 From the June 15th Facebook post by Chris Mayhew:

 ... with special guests James Alan (magician) and Ernie Vicente (stand up comic).

 Read more.

 

Checking in with James Alan's show Mysteries and Lies at The Toronto Fringe

The Toronto Fringe (June 30 - July 12) is fast approaching!  

James Alan kindly agreed to answer some of our questions ahead of his upcoming show Mysteries and Lies at The Toronto Fringe.

 

 

  

 

What is your first memory of magic?

Memory is tricky at that age. I can reconstruct after the fact that I definitely saw Penn & Teller do “Blast-Off” on the Muppet Show. 

 

 

How long have you been performing professionally?

My first paid performance was in 2007. I think I started identifying as a professional around 2012. 

 

 

Why is now the right time for you to be at the Fringe?

At any given time, I have three or four shows I could do. I interact with the audience a lot. So what I do really has to be grounded in the space I’m in. Magic & Martini (2016-2020) always took place in a cocktail lounge. My virtual show, Bring Magic Home, never tried to hide the fact these weird Zoom get-togethers were utterly mad. 

The Toronto Fringe is enormous. This year it has one hundred twenty-three shows. And those slots are assigned by lottery. Some years I get busy and don’t get around to applying. But really it was a random number generator that decided this was the time. And so I didn’t know what the show would be until I found out where it was going to be. But once we knew, the whole show basically came together in one afternoon of shuffling index cards around a coffee table. 



 

What is the title of the show?

Mysteries and Lies. I’m chronically obsessed with the paradox of truth in magic — that there is no way to do what we do honestly. My last Fringe foray was called Lies, Damn Lies & Magic Tricks. There’s a naive version of magic which is about fooling people — I know something you don’t know, Nyah! But there’s a more interesting more grown up version which is about getting people to think about what shouldn’t and shouldn’t be possible. But fooling someone is tightly bound up in that project so it’s a very fine line to walk.

I want people to have an amazing — maybe even a profound — experience. But I don’t want to fall into the trap that so many in the industry do of thinking that you need people to think it’s “for real” in order to be respectable. There shouldn't be a contradiction between being totally amazing and being “just a magic trick”. 
 

 

 

 

How, if at all, does this show differ from your previous shows?

Because the theatre is a very intimate space, 46 seats, with raked seating, we decided this was going to be a close-up show — like what you might see at the close-up room of the Magic Castle. The format is one I hadn’t really worked in before 2020. I never really sat down, even to do close-up magic. I got used to it doing virtual shows, where I opted to sit behind a desk. And during re-opening after the pandemic, there was an awkward period in Canada where you weren’t allowed to have more than ten people in a gathering. So my private shows moved from the end of the room to around the coffee table or the dining room table. (Again, so that the magic can be grounded in the environment. The show happens in your living room. I don’t try to make you pretend your living room is a bar or a theatre or a comedy club.) 

But it also means this show is really brand new. If you saw Magic & Martini, before the pandemic, this will be completely different.

The show is thematically richer — maybe just because I’m older. Recently truth has been top of mind. We’re bombarded by fake headlines, fake experts, AI slop and the threat a Large Language Model is coming for your job. So as someone who is trying to walk this tightrope of honest lying, my job is to channel all that angst into a real experience, but without making things explicit so you feel like you’re watching a TED talk about what to do if you think your toaster might be conscious.


 

 

When did you start writing and preparing for this show?

I found out where the show was going to be in mid January and that’s when I seriously started preparing. The origin of the show we wound up doing is actually a bit stranger. 

I did get used to the idea of performing at the table during re-opening. But the first one of those shows was actually in January of 2020. I received a last minute inquiry on a Sunday morning for a show that night. It was for four people. They wanted something to lighten the mood after they got back from a funeral. (Friends of mine know that the stranger the request, the more likely I am to say yes.) So in my mind, that show was Mysteries and Lies v1.0. And there is actually one trick from that which survives into this version. 

The other weird thing that seeped into this show is that the theatre is inside of a converted school classroom. It’s one of the old red brick kind built in 1914. So the hallway has that odd proportion designed to funnel hundreds of kids to and from recess. The doors are classroom doors. So we’re playing with the idea that we’re surveying all of the regular school subjects — science, history, math — through the lens of magic. 



 

Will you tease an effect or two for us?

I would rather people be surprised. But if someone is willing to do some work, they can earn a spoiler. When The Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, we got so swept up, we forget that immediately after that, there was a magician on, who did two tricks. The show contains one of those. There is also a piece by Tommy Wonder that he was so protective of that he withheld it from publication in The Books of Wonder. (But he later softened and ultimately shared it in 2003.) I’ll be doing a version of that. 

 

 

 

Is there anything else you’d like to share with the readers of Canada’s Magic?

If they have the time, they should take the time to experience the Fringe. There are over a hundred different shows. So part of the fun is making a day of it, and seeing what new and different things you can experience. 



 

Thank you James, for making the time to answer our questions!
 

For more information about the Toronto Fringe, visit FringeToronto.com

 

  Mysteries and Lies  

• Tickets:  
  https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/show/mysteries-and-lies

 

For more information about James Alan, visit his website at JamesAlan.ca and follow him on Facebook and Instagram.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ICYMI: New additions to the Screening Room at Magicana

Three videos have recently been added to the Screening Room at Magicana.

 

From the April 14th article "Back to the Screening Room" by James Alan at Magicana: 

So with these challenges in mind and wanting to adhere to Prof. Edwin Dawes’ motto (“Collect, Collate, Communicate!”) we want to share video from the collection on a regular a basis. Our working title for the series is “The Good, The Bad and the… You Decide”.  

We want to begin with this recording of Lewis Ganson. This is a short excerpt where he performs “The Diminishing Cards.” (Please note this clip has no audio.) 

Read more and watch video. 

 

 

From the May 5th article "Principles, Deceptions and a Phantasy" by James Alan at Magicana: 

Continuing our series of “The Good, The Bad and the… You Decide” we are pleased to share two clips from Arthur Buckley. (If you missed the previous release featuring Lewis Ganson, consider stopping there first.)

Read more and watch video.

 

 

 

 

Mississauga: Ronald MacDonald House fundraiser [Jun 5]

Updated June 5th to add:

• We have just been advised that this show is cancelled. 

 

Featuring Rob Fishbaum, James Alan, and David Peck.  Tickets at Eventbrite.

 

From the April 15th blog post "Upcoming performance in Mississauga" at James Alan's blog:

I’ll be taking part in a special live show raising money for Ronald MacDonald House charities, alongside magicians David Peck and Rob Fishbaum. The performance is open to all ages.

 

From the April 15th Instagram post by Rob Fishbaum:

 

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Help Ring 17 reach their donation goal in support of the Daily Bread Food Bank

Updated December 29 to add:

• Embedded December 27th uploaded YouTube video of show at the bottom of the post.
   

 

Donate through the Sid Lorraine Hat & Rabbit Club's link at the Daily Bread Food Bank.

 

From the December 28th Instagram post by David Peck:

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who came out to support the @hatandrabbitclub fundraising magic show for the @dailybreadto

Your energy, generosity, and love for magic helped make the night unforgettable. 🪄💛

We’re so close to reaching our goal of $3,000 to support families in need this holiday season. If you couldn’t make it to the show or want to help push us over the top, there’s still time to give!

💻 Donate now: Link in Bio

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From the December 27th upload "Daily Bread FoodBank Fundraiser 2024" at the Ring 17 YouTube channel:

 

 

 

Toronto: With an Extra Helping of Magic fundraiser [Dec 18]

Edited at 5:30pm to add:

• More recent rumours suggest the line up will include:  David Peck, Magic Mel, James Alan, Phil Pivnick, Jeff Hinchliffe, Ian Crawford, Rob Fishbaum, David Sutherland, and Charles McBurney.
  

 

This year's line up rumoured to include David Sutherland, James Alan, Mel Jones, Ian Crawford and more!

 

From the December 9th Instagram post by the Sid Lorraine Hat & Rabbit club (Ring 17):

Come see some AMAZING magicians, including @magicforgrownups James Alan at the Moonlight Lounge in Toronto!

The Hat and Rabbit Club is bringing you an unforgettable night of wonder and giving.
📅 When: December 18, 7:30 PM
📍 Where: Moonlight Lounge, Toronto

Every ticket helps support the Daily Bread Food Bank. Let’s make a difference together! 💫
@dailybreadto

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From the Sid Lorraine Hat & Rabbit club (Ring 17) website:

The show will be on Wednesday, December 18th, 7:30 pm. We've secured the Moonlight Lounge in Kensington market (easily accessible by TTC with Green P nearby.) The room seats about 100 people so we are looking for material appropriate for that size of audience. There is a stage, with limited space to preset props off to the side. We will have the ability to play music but not the ability to do any video projection or any other multimedia. Performances should be 5-10 minutes in length and suitable for audiences age 12 and up. Holiday themed material is welcome, as is material involving non perishable food items. We will need to know what you plan on performing ahead of time so that we can put together a show that is balanced without repetition.

Read more.

From the December 6th Instagram post by the Hat & Rabbit club:

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Toronto: 'Magic Show & Tell' at Browser's Den

From the Browser's Den of Magic:

Magic Show & Tell at Browser's Den

FREE EVENTS COMING UP!

SAVE THE DATES!
Saturday, July 20, 2pm to 3:30pm - David Barrett

Saturday, August 10, 2pm to 3:30pm  - James Alan
Saturday, August 31, 2pm to 3:30pm - Andrew Woo

Saturday, September 14, 2pm to 3:30pm  - Dr. Sammy

Saturday, October 5, 2pm to 3:30pm  - Ryan Murray
Saturday, October 26, 2pm to 3:30pm  - David Peck

Read more.

 

 

 

 

Toronto: Hocus Jokus [Mar 10]

Featuring Ben Train, Jonah Babins, and James Alan.  Tickets at Yuk Yuk's.

 

From the February 28th Facebook post by The Toronto Magic Company:

What do you get when you combine a Comedy Mind-reader, an Award-Winning Magician, and a world-class sleight of hand expert into a single 90-minute show?

Answer: an amazing night of fun for YOU! 

Jam packed with laughs and mind-blowing magic, this show is perfect for a night out with friends, a date, or just because you need a break from your annoying kids. 

Featuring Ben Train (Penn and Teller’s Fool Us), Jonah Babins (2021 Allan Slaight Award Winner), and sleight of hand artist James Alan, it’s all happening Sunday March 10th at Yuk Yuk’s Toronto.

 

 

 

 

 

 

With an Extra Helping of Magic 2023

December 21, 2023

Toronto's Sid Lorraine Hat and Rabbit Club (IBM Ring 17) hosted a virtual fundraiser in support of mental health initiatives in Toronto and in support of North York General Hospital.

Watch the show and donate at:
https://www.ibmring17.com/show/

 

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Richmond Hill: The Aces of Magic [Dec 10, 17, 22]

From Jokers.ca:

December 10 - Henry Cheng, Ken Pham, and Mysterion


December 17 - Chris Westfall, Henry Cheng, and Ken Pham


December 22 - James Alan, Mysterion and Ken Pham 

 

Read more and buy tickets.

 

 

 

 

 

Checking in with Ben Train and The Art of Magic [Oct 21]

This morning we let you know about the upcoming The Art of Magic show presented by The Toronto Magic Company.  

If you've never been to one of these shows, they're a very unique experience.  Ben Train was kind enough to answer some questions we had about The Toronto Magic Company, and The Art of Magic.

 

Ben Train

What is the Toronto Magic Company (TMC)?

In 2016 I partnered up with my best friend Jonah Babins to produce magic shows across the GTA. Specifically, we wanted to produce GOOD magic shows - the kind of shows we’d be excited to see.

Since then we’ve produced more than 200 shows a year, worked with hundreds of amazing magicians from around the world, and entertained thousands of people.

 

Who are the players in TMC?

There’s myself, Ben Train, and my good buddy Jonah Babins. We’re the two co-founders. We also have an amazing team working behind the scenes; video editors and photographers, our incredible magicians and volunteers, and of course - our audiences!

Ben and Jonah Babins on an adventure.

 

 

What is The Art of Magic?

Magicians have been talking about magic being an art form for hundreds of years. So in 2018 Jonah and I had an idea. What if we produced an event that wasn’t just a show, but rather a “gallery” of magic art?

And that’s what we did! We filled a gallery with magic-themed art (posters, props, and interactive exhibits), invited some of our favourite close-up magicians to walk around the space performing, and finished the whole experience off with a stage magic show filled with mind-reading and illusions.

 

Admiring the art at
The Art of Magic

 

How does The Art of Magic differ from the Toronto Magic Company's other offerings? 

All of our shows have different concepts, because we want to appeal to different audiences and we want to explore different ways of presenting magic.

What most of our shows have in common though is that they follow a pretty traditional show format: you arrive at the venue, sit in your seat, watch a show, and then go home. (I promise the shows are waaay more fun than that description makes them sound!)

What makes The Art of Magic different is that it’s not just a show, but rather an interactive exhibit that lets you explore magic in different ways (including actively being part of the experience in ways you simply couldn’t do with a typical show).

Oh… and on top of all that you ALSO get an amazing show!

 

Jonah entertaining at The Art of Magic

 

 

How was the recent September show (the 30th Art of Magic show) different from the very first The Art of Magic show?

The first Art of Magic, back in 2018, was very different. We were in a different location, which meant different limitations (and advantages), we didn’t have access to enough magic-themed art, and we were relying more on out-of-town talent.

When the pandemic temporarily shut us down we used our time to retool everything.

We found a better venue (two floors which allowed us to have different experiences happening at the same time), we got WAAAY more magic-related art pieces (Several dozen and counting), and watched as the talent in Toronto developed to a point where we no longer needed to bring in outside help (though we still bring in performers from all over the world - because we love featuring the best magicians on the planet!).

The concept is ALWAYS something we’re tweaking with, because we’re always trying to make it better. Speaking of which, if anyone reading this has been to one of our shows and has ideas for how we can improve… please message me! ( ben at TorontoMagicCompany dot com)

Ben entertaining at The Art of Magic

 

What have you learned from producing 30 of these shows?

That there are waaaaay easier ways to make money lol.

Also, I’ve learnt that sometimes the things that excite ME (or passionate magic lovers like me) aren't necessarily what excites the general public. So as we test and try new things we pay special attention to which exhibits resonate with people and WHY, so we can make all our future events better.

 

 

Is there anything else you'd like to share with our readers about The Art of Magic?

Yah. Buy some tickets and come on out!

If you’re a magic fan, this is a must-attend. I truly believe that.

And if you’re not yet a magic fan but you are a fan of fun nights… come on out and we’ll convert you. ;)

Thank you Ben, for making the time to answer our questions!

 

 

You have two chances to catch The Art of Magic on Saturday October 21st.  The show features:  Jeff Hinchliffe, Harry Zimmerman, Jonah Babins, and James Alan.  (Ben Train will be appearing in the second show.)   Tickets at Eventbrite.

 

Learn more about The Toronto Magic Company and follow them on Facebook, and Instagram. 

 

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