Lots of people think magic is just for children, that we enjoy it while we’re young but as we grow up we should move on from it. In his latest show, Ben Hart proves this entirely wrong by combining magic certain to knock anyone’s socks off, relaxed and well executed humour, alongside excellent showmanship.
From start to finish, Hart demonstrated a wonderful array of magic (not tricks but genius) that had the audience questioning reality. From disappearing chairs, to connecting rings, to reading minds, he showcased a variety of magic to a very high calibre. The impressiveness of this was furthered by Hart’s reliance on audience members for the majority of his magic, switching it up from everything being rehearsed. Furthermore, having a pillow be thrown around the crowd to randomly select an audience member made it clear the volunteers weren’t in cahoots with the magician, clearly confirming Hart’s true magical talent.
However, Hart’s show didn’t rest solely on the shoulders of his magic like so often shows do. No, instead it was a performance as well. Because the show isn’t just about magic, it’s about Ben Hart too. As a showman, Hart creates such essential tension and drama, building up to his big reveals and capturing the audience’s attention throughout the hour-long show. Another level of intrigue he adds to the performance is a running theme of Salvador Dali’s idea of catching your dreams by spinning a coin on a plate.
The only slight disappointment with Hart’s show was that in a couple of instances the magic was fairly small scale. Though still mind bending, it required setting up a camera and the majority of the audience watching on a screen, ultimately making it less thrilling.
Overall, The Remarkable Ben Hart is a top magic performance at the Fringe this year — be prepared to have your mind blown and have a long list of questions after!
The Remarkable Ben Hart is running until 24 August (excluding 11th) at Palais du Variété at Assembly George Square Gardens.
Buy tickets here.
Image courtesy of Matt Creckett, provided to The Student as press material.