If you’re looking for a magic show at Edinburgh Fringe 2025 that will genuinely leave you questioning what’s real, The Remarkable Ben Hart at Assembly George Square Studios might just be the most astonishing hour you’ll spend this August. This isn’t a “trick-a-minute” spectacle – it’s an intricate weaving of mystery, humour, and moments so impossible they feel like prophecy.
The show blends sleight of hand, mindreading, and audience interaction, but it’s the way Hart performs that sets him apart. His magic is intimate, psychological, and deeply personal – designed not just to amaze, but to make you feel. One of the most striking moments saw audience members (including my daughter) write personal truths on small slips of paper. Without ever touching them – they were collected by other audience members and dropped into a bowl of water – Hart “dreamed” his way into discovering those secrets. He asked a woman near me if he could share hers, gently tapped her stomach, and said, “Are you nine weeks pregnant?” She was. As tears appeared in her eyes, there was something more… this didn’t feel like we were here to just watch or spectate. It felt like we were part of the magic.
Hart’s style is deceptively relaxed, peppered with wry humour that occasionally edges into risqué territory (the show is 12+, and Assembly staff ensure younger viewers don’t sit in the front rows). It’s a performance that works particularly well for teens and adults, where a hint of scepticism makes the impossible even more delicious.
Throughout the hour, Hart performs the improbable… and well, yes, the impossible. Large objects vanish without fanfare, objects change form as audience members hold them securely, and the air between you and the stage seems charged with possibility. There’s no bombastic soundtrack, no glitter, no rabbits – just a magician at the height of his craft, leaving you suspended between disbelief and wonder.
A breath taking, reality-bending experience – Edinburgh with Kids rating – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – if more stars was a thing, they would be awarded.
Tickets
📍 Palais du Variété at Assembly George Square Gardens
📅 Until 24 August 2025, daily at 18:25
🎟 Book here
Please note – we received press tickets for the purpose of this review, but all opinions are entirely our own.
