Is there room for magic in the modern world? Or have we cancelled out anything enchanting, anything out of the ordinary, anything remarkable? Ben Hart says no–but do we agree?Rating
Good!
I should preface this by saying that I am not a massive fan of “magic” in general, having been forced up against enough walls by socially awkward males mid-party, shoving cards into my face. Yet, as a good journalist, I followed my fiancé (one of these very males) to Wilton’s Music Hall to see Ben Hart – him off the telly (Britain’s Got Talent, The One Show, Killer Magic and BBC’s Life Hacks) – midway through his UK tour. A multi-award-winning magician, he also consults on Hollywood movies, coaching the likes of Tom Cruise (who, I’d argue, is surely spine-chilling enough already).
Setting: perfect. The gothic bones of the 1859 venue seem almost to beg for psychic probing (aren’t we all?). Visually: taking a note from Wednesday fever, Hart looks the part in a grey and black pinstripe suit, with intense greenish eyes and a fluffy brunette mop. There’s a cheeky twinkle in those orbs and a corresponding charming/goofy grin. What a pleasant change to have a magician who doesn’t look like a 1970s sex pest.
I won’t say I wasn’t dazzled at points – which is tough for this old cynic. Stools disappear with alarming speed; spoons bend in bags held by audience members; and some nifty camera work brings us up close for more intimate tricks. Snatching hoops with tied hands and plenty of card work are delivered with a confident flourish. The mind-reading of names and anniversaries in the crescendo is jaw-dropping. The magic is magic-ing, as the kids say.
However, as always, it’s a child who pulls at the threads. Audience interaction is a tough but expected part of a magician’s work. Safe to say, we were a sloth-like Thursday crowd. Poor Hart desperately battled uphill, but pointing out the lethargy rarely improves things. “Are you guys OK?” Hart bleated. The Ouija table was rather scuppered by a keen-eyed 13-year-old who spotted the differences in the “ordinary table” before it proceeded to float. When asked if he was happy, he quite clearly and loudly said: “Not really.” Poor Hart soldiered on regardless, but was visibly dented.
Working in some Dali-esque dream imagery and a perpetually spinning penny is his attempt at the unearthly. Yet the dad jokes and self-deprecation throughout come across as more silly than spooky. Lost somewhere between Siegfried and Roy and Simon Amstell, the menace is lacking throughout. The muscles of magic are pumping, but it’s the connective tissue that keeps getting twisted.
Written & Produced by Ben Hart
The Remarkable Ben Hart has completed its Wilton’s Music Hall performances, but continues on a 2025/26 UK tour.
