Whilst Ben Hart may (by his own naming convention, and from a viewer’s experience) be ‘remarkable’, his latest show is somewhat an amalgam of contradictions. Hart’s stage is drenched in blood-red lighting with the show’s title scrawled in white, looking like the cover of a Victorian gothic horror novel. The PA pumps out a tune that pays homage to East Berlin-tinged 80s synth-pop. And then there’s the man himself: dressed in an oddly tailored – or probably just ill-fitting – suit with the energy of a children’s TV presenter.
The opening is arresting, but everything seems slightly off-kilter. As Hart launches into the first of many mind-boggling tricks, he himself proves to be a bit of an oddity. Dressed like an exceptionally smart clown, he presents something of a dual personality. When setting up a trick, his vocal delivery is very deliberate; he speaks as if emulating David Attenborough—slow, breathy, and in slightly hushed tones. Then, between tricks or when engaging with the audience, he transforms into a bouncing, frenetic children’s TV presenter, his rapid-fire delivery making much of his off-the-cuff humour almost indecipherable.
This yin-yang personality proves frustrating. You become accustomed to one ‘character’ only to be jarred by an abrupt switch to another; it’s ultimately distracting. When you manage to get into the rhythm of his more frenetic personality and can keep up with his rapid-fire speech, Hart reveals himself as a very funny, quick-witted, and engaging presence. By comparison, the switch to his more serious persona feels disingenuous and rather boring.
But the crucial question remains: is the magic any good? To that, the answer is a resounding yes. In this day and age, engaging magic shows are a hard feat to pull off, but Hart delivers relatively established tricks with a fresh twist. The show is essentially a collection of his ‘greatest hits’, yet he still manages to deliver plenty of ‘oohs’ and ‘ahs’ and enough head-scratching moments to keep even the most jaded audience member entertainingly confounded.
Despite its contradictions, or perhaps because of them, Hart’s show ultimately succeeds in its primary mission: to astonish. Yes, his dual personality can be jarring, and the gothic aesthetic feels at odds with his presenter persona, but these quirks become part of the charm rather than genuine hindrances. Hart may not have perfected the art of theatrical consistency, but he has certainly mastered the far more important skill of keeping his audience guessing. In a world where true surprise has become increasingly rare, that alone makes him rather remarkable indeed.
Runs until 7 September, then continues to tour
