The Illusion

Corneille's seventeenth-century comedy, L'Illusion Comique, in a free adaptation by the author of Angels in America.

The Illusion follows a contrite father, Pridamant, seeking news of his prodigal son from the sorcerer Alcandre. The magician conjures up episodes from the boy's life; scenes which inexplicably find him in slightly different worlds each time. Pridamant watches, enthralled by the boy's struggles, but only as the strange tale reaches its conclusion does he confront the ultimate – and unexpected – truth about his son.

An enchanting argument for the power of theatrical imagination over reality, The Illusion weaves obsession and caprice, romance and murder, fact and fiction, into an enticing exploration of the greatest illusion of all – love.