Magic; Cabaret and Variety 

Words: Trudy Lynn 
Image: Matt Crockett

4 Stars 

This dark magic show feels particularly theatrical. The set pieces are woven together with Hart’s red string and he jokes with the audience as he threads his way deeper into his underground labyrinth. There’s the usual sleight of hand, card tricks, knotwork, number games but Hart’s show shines most through the storytelling and  the way he’s tied it together. It feels epic as we journey back to prehistory, gaze at  the stars, watch our ancestors play with shadow puppets in the firelight. And yet, the  magic tricks remain at the centre and are artfully hung together by the theme. 

The labyrinth takes us underground into a world of cave-paintings, minotaurs and  miners but also mystery, hallucinations and the small choices that make up our lives. Getting lost and finding your way in the maze is a motif which comes to a head in the finale. There’s a darkness to the show, a cleverness alongside the skill. A depth which comments on how we live our lives.

There’s something uncanny about Hart and his knowing look. His patter is solid, smattered with innuendo if the audience provide, and easy enough to follow while also feeling smart. The tech is very slick; the lighting, projection, camera all perfect. This feels crafted, rehearsed, designed, controlled. And for a magic show, you want  your charismatic magician to control the room like this. 

Ben Hart: The Labyrinth
Palais du Variété at Assembly George Square Gardens,
18:20 
5 August – 30 August (not 17)