one4review | On 12, Aug 2022

It’s a bit of a cliché to watch a magician and find yourself saying “how on earth does he do that?”, but I found myself saying that throughout a magical hour with West End star, multi award-winning magician and Britain’s Got Talent finalist Ben Hart. The start is fairly low key, with a introduction featuring a childhood musical box, but then the ‘real’ Ben Hart appears on stage and starts with a number of card tricks, before moving on to a Rubik’s Cube, chalk boards, mirrors, fans and various other props to perform tricks. There are a number of incredible sleight of hand moments, especially one with a scrap of paper being bounced on a fan, turning into an egg, which is then cracked into a glass – how did he do that?! The general theme of the evening is wonder and mystery, featuring a number of mirror images, and a live stream is used to give the audience a close-up view of some of the more intricate tricks. Sometimes the delivery is a little slow and awkward, and Ben’s personality is very dark and self-deprecating at times, which means he doesn’t always fully engage with the audience. From the back of the Pleasance Grand, it was difficult to see some of the tricks, and the camera work wasn’t always keeping up, with the images appearing a little blurred at times. However, these are minor criticisms, and if you are a fan of magic, make sure you get a seat towards the front of the theatre and you won’t be disappointed.

****

Reviewed by Howard

The Pleasance Grand

Until 28th August (not 16th)