The Magic of Wilton’s
Ben Hart, a young man already elevated to the higher echelons of the mystical Magic Circle, brought his best bits to Wilton’s Music Hall before heading up to Edinburgh where he will delight audiences at the Fringe Festival throughout August, writes Michael Holland.
Using the extraordinary atmosphere in this old building to his advantage, Hart, with smoke and lights and slick talk, created a sense of wonder where anything could happen in a show featuring old tricks and new, most of which left us quite speechless. So much so that he had to sometimes remind us to clap and cheer!
I love watching magic; I love trying to work out how the tricks are done, and for 99% of the prestidigitation we were treated to I did not have a clue.
Using sand, glass, water, playing cards, coins and many members from the audience, we had 90 minutes of stagecraft and close-up conjuring. I marvelled at how he pushed a stick through glass, turned water into sand and sand into money. I watched with fascination as he made coins and paper disappear before our very eyes.
His patter was engaging and constant. He leaves no time for you to stop and think about what you have just seen because he has moved on to another piece of trickery to deceive us. And he can go with the flow if it changes. He accidentally smashed one of his crockery props and immediately informed us it was broken by his magical powers, which got a laugh, and then warned us that he could very easily break us all into pieces if we didn’t stop laughing. That, of course, created more laughter.
Hart is a man who almost fooled Penn & Teller, who taught Tom Cruise wizardry for Mission Impossible 7, and who had my friend Kay believing in Magic by the time we headed home. And there is no greater accolade than that for a magician.
Those people who will be at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival I implore you to catch Ben Hart if you can. Others will be able to see him at some point somewhere as he seems to be constantly touring.
Assembly Gardens – Palais du Varietés Speigeltent , George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ from 1st – 25th August.
Booking: 0131 623 3030 or www.assemblyfestival.com
