At the start of his performance Alex Horne claims that he was once an owl impersonator. This is an untruth, of course, and it sets the playful tone for Lies, an inventive piece full of exaggerations, fabrications and winning punchlines.
The comic is best known as the genial host of musical hit The Horne Section but here he focuses on the nature of storytelling, aided by ingenious audio wizardry which means Andre Agassi, Michael Caine and another unlikely guest have unwitting cameos.
Horne admits to being a serial fibber, whether claiming to have read a book on a highbrow arts programme or simply embellishing reality during gigs. Comedians lie for a living, he suggests, appropriating anecdotes and remodelling them as their own. He illustrates his guilty secret brilliantly with a series of gentle gags and incriminating recordings.
The beauty of this consistently clever show is that just when you think you know what is going on he springs another surprise. At one point his “guests” virtually hijack the show, leaving him redundant, but make no mistake, Horne is the star. He may not have been an owl impersonator but Lies is a hoot. Honestly.
Until Nov 30 (020 7478 0100, sohotheatre.com)
