☆☆☆☆☆

Edinburghers fear not: the witch is back.  Ben Hart is always one of the more stylishly dressed magicians. This year he looks so sharp in his tan suit that Americans might feel compelled to vote for him for president. Hart has performed at the Fringe for the past ten years, and this year’s show Hex is billed as a retrospective, composed of the best tricks and bits from previous years.

Ever the storyteller, captive to his magical talents and creativity, Hart does weave a delicate yet cohesive storyline through the themes of the various effects. This is so perfectly done and perfectly revealed that it would be a shame to say any more in a review. Suffice it to say that if there is such a thing as a good year to skip Hart’s show, this is not it.

Due to the nature of this show regular attendees of Hart’s Fringe offerings may recognize specific effects from past years. Hart is such a creative performer that it feels like a real treat to revisit these effects; these are all the most inventive, personalized routines that were genuine highlights of previous years.  That being said, while perhaps Hart’s long time superfans who have attended all ten of his Fringe shows may recognize all of the effects performed in Hex, for the rest there will be novelty. Magicians love recovering lost items via citrus fruit, and Hart’s take on this classic theme is an early highlight in the Hex magic lineup. As with this effect, while the bones of oft-repeated magic tricks are occasionally detectable through the meat of Hart’s performance, they are entirely transformed by his tinkering with the specifics of the presentation.

A self described witch, Hart curates an intense, otherworldly stage presence. Nevertheless he allows gaps in the intensity to welcome his audience participants into the show. Hex’s participation points are clearly delineated and easy to engage with—for many, the participant does not have to get up on the stage to be a part of the magic, and at no point does Hart even ask anyone do anything even as challenging as remembering a playing card suit. Hart uses magic as a vehicle to reawaken the wonder in his audience, and removes any potential difficulty in participating in it, keeping both the challenges as well as the secrets for himself.

Hart is consistently one of the best magicians at the Fringe. Each show has a theme, or sometimes a story, and while Hart himself has a specific, recognizable performance style, each show that he creates also has its own defined character that feels both distinct and entirely inseparable from his baseline stage presence. Describing the precise genius of Hart’s performance to any degree of adequacy is a regular, welcome challenge. In its own way Hex is no different… and, of course, completely different. Hart will undoubtedly continue to be a highlight of the Fringe for as long as he is willing to grace Edinburgh with his presence.

More information on HeX and its performance dates can be found here.