Ben Hart wants to take you on a journey. A twisty turny journey full of tiny choices that might contain a couple of dead ends but ultimately, will get you to the heart of his labyrinth. This is a brand new magic show, specially created for this Fringe only. Whether you’ve seen Hart‘s brand of visually rich, eclectic magic, mind games and trickery or whether you haven’t, you’re in for a treat.
Ben Hart: The Labyrinth takes place in one of the Spiegeltents – the gorgeous stained glass and mirrored Palais du Varieté currently resident in George Square Gardens. The circular stage is surrounded by audience on three sides and a pre-show projection sidles between the spindly scrawled show title and a stern reminder that there’ll be no actors or stooges in this show. Class A magic only is coming up.
What follows is is a deliciously jaw-dropping parade of the mystical. Hart has a couple of threads – literal and metaphorical – that knit the tricks together. The labyrinth, of course, is one but that creates a pretext for Hart to talk about the myriad choices scattered through any life and all their ramifications. This is magic with its tongue firmly in its cheek. Hart sends himself up even as he embraces the smooth patter and the sleight of hand that characterises master magicians, delivered at a helter-skelter pace that will keep you holding your breath.
In his baggy pinstripe suit, with his loping gait, Hart has all the enthusiasm of a puppy and the wry wit of David Tennant’s Doctor Who. The tech is top class. A bouncy soundtrack keeps pace with the twisty story and always matches the mood. The lights are a magic act in themselves – sleekly supporting the subterfuge with the occasional discrete wink so you know they have a sense of humour too. But it would be empty wrapping paper without a super showman pulling all the strings.
‘The Labyrinth‘ has finished its run