EDINBURGH 2017: BWW Q&A- Ben Hart

Tell us a bit about Belief?

Belief? Is a brand new magic show. It's my 5th show for the Fringe and definitely my favourite. I was tired of the conventional magic show and wanted to make something that felt more amazing than my previous work. It is stripped back (I work with almost no props) and more emotionally real than my previous shows. The show explores memory, belief, time, stories, chaos, imagination etc - big things! I'm always surprised at how effective magic can be for talking about the everyday mysteries of life...

Where have you performed so far?

Over the years I have performed all over the world. This year I have performed in Singapore, Dubai, Beirut, Africa and across the uk. I performed two seasons in the West End in a magic show called Impossible and prior to that had played all kinds of venues, from audiences of 1 to Wembley arena. I have done a few fun things for tv too but always end up returning to the Edinburgh Fringe where you find the most enjoyable audiences and can find a home for your most unusual material.

What sets it apart from other shows at the fringe?

My new show Belief? Is quite unlike the type of magic shows people may expect. Firstly, this is an hour of brand new material - anybody who has seen me before will see a whole new side to my work. The show is very contemporary and I've taken quite a few risks with it. I shun the usual approach to magic - cheesy jokes and tricks you've seen before. I have always enjoyed telling stories, so they feature strongly in my work however whereas in the past I've put focus on narrative, this time I'm focussing very much on amazement. I have large sections of the show that can only be improvised and am at the mercy of my audience - the show grows out of my relationship with them. Most magic shows assume that an audience will be easy to fool and this has always frustrated me. I think that respecting your audience's intelligence is very important for a magician.

How much audience participation is there?

There is some audience participation but not in a way that will embarrass anyone or make them question their confidence. I ask some members of the audience to help to define the course of the show. The best magic happens in your own hands or minds and I love being able to share this with an audience. Unlike a comedy show where audience participation is designed to elicit laughter from the embarrassment of the participant, in my show the trust goes both ways - I need to be able to trust my helpers and they need to be able to trust me. Whilst almost any other type of show can exist in a bubble and still works without an audience, in a magic show you have no show without them. The magic doesn't happen onstage... It happens in the minds of the audience.

Who would you recommend comes to see you?

Of course I'm the worst person to ask who should see the show because my answer is everyone! I would suggest 12+, because it's certainly not a children's magic show - children have plenty of magic in their lives already!

If you love magic then this show will definitely appeal to you because it's quite an unusual style for a magic show and it's full of things you won't have seen before. If you hate magic then this is probably the perfect magic show for you too! I began writing it out of total disillusionment with the work I had been doing and I really wanted to find a new way of connecting with the audience and I think that this show really does!

If you want to play the game of finding your own astonishment, then this is absolutely the how for you. Come in believing that you have the power to suspend your disbelief...

Timings and tickets for Ben Hart: Belief? are available on the edfringe website.

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