Ben Hart: The Labyrinth - Palais du Variété - Review

Wonder, Jadoo, Hex, The Remarkable Ben Hart and now The Labyrinth; five years of attending the Edinburgh Fringe and five years of having my mind well and truly boggled by the one and only Ben Hart. A magician like no other, who takes you on a journey like no other, seamlessly blending storytelling, legends, comedy and incredible magic into something extraordinary, completely such mind blowing magical achievements that there really is no point trying to work out how he does it. Just sit back, open your mind and allow Ben Hart to lead the way on an incredible adventure.

Returning to Assembly’s Palais du Variete, as beautiful as it is iconic, with The Labyrinth, Hart invites you to think about the little decisions we make in day to day life that could influence things further down the line all whilst linking back to the story of the Minotaur and the ball of yarn Theseus used to mark his way through the maze.

From cave paintings and keys to swords and  notebooks, Hart plays on walking the tightrope between his magical acts working perfectly and teasing the idea that they could fail, again building on that it could go either way idea that surrounds the entire piece.

What I feel makes Hart stand out from other magicians is his crowd work, akin to that of a stand up comedian. He has this wonderful ability to react to an audience, to quickly come back with a sassy, or at times sarcastic comment for example stating that he wouldn’t come to someone’s workplace and woo when somethings proving a little tricky, or commenting on someone not needing to pick up fallen cards because they are included in the ticket price, or even complaining that getting a key is taking too long because of someone’s oversized Stitch keyring. This talent has the audience laughing out loud and makes Hart even more likeable. Some magicians can be a little bit too intense, and whilst I believe that a good magician should be able to take you a little out of your comfort zone and place you in that area where everything is possible, Hart’s use of comedy lifts the tension delightfully as he even jokes about not being to fool us as he performs in the round surrounded by mirrors.

Every time I see a Ben Hart show, he always finds a way of adding something new, and I don’t mean just new magical acts. He will find a new way to tell a story, brings in myths and legends and in the case of The Labyrinth, introduces shadow puppetry. Set to Crack of Doom by The Tiger Lillies, as catchy as it is a bit creepy, Hart creates animals and humans in an entirely different form of magic.

Ben Hart is a magician I will always want to see time and time again, not only because his shows are always new and exciting but because he is simply such a captivating performer. For that hour running time, it’s his world and you are simply living in it as he guides you through a magical adventure that you will never be able to either explain or fully understand.