Last year when reviewing Ben Hart: Wonder at the Fringe, my one suggestion was that the audience needed to be closer to Hart to appreciate the smaller tricks – and this year he’s achieved this by performing in the intimate in-the-round Palais du Variete space in Assembly George Square Gardens.
Magic can be hit and miss, but Hart never misses. Intertwining a narrative of Indian magic, spirituality, and family roots within the show, there’s depth and drama embedded as he speaks whilst setting up each trick.
Hart is more daring than ever, there’s one particular trick which risks turning the stomachs of his audience – he warns those that are squeamish to look away during this one. There is also a trick using rings which he performed last year in his previous show. This is not an issue for audience members that didn’t attend Wonder – but for me, I felt slightly underwhelmed by seeing the same trick a year later – although it was up close this time.
Hart has an electric stage presence, he is a confident, charismatic performer that can captivate the audience and bounce off them, interacting with them throughout. Although, I’d advise not to sit in the front row if you’re averse to audience participation.
Jadoo is a brand new show, and you’re bound to gasp with awe multiple times, and whisper to the person sitting next to you “How did he do that?”. I do feel the show needs some finessing, but I love this new intimate setting which means all eyes are on him throughout, we can see from every angle, something I’m sure some magicians would be worried about – but not Ben Hart.
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