It’s easy to give in to snobbery and think of magic as amateurish or otherwise to spend a whole show looking to spot mistakes. Ben Hart begins his new hour, HeX, by asking us to reconnect with our innate sense of childlike wonder. He reminds us that we can let ourselves be awed by magic. It’s a great start to an entertaining show.

While HeX largely follows the beaten path of stage magic, putting slight twists on familiar tricks, it does deliver a few gasp-worthy illusions. A levitating table, a piece of paper turning into an egg, and a magically transported credit card are just a few things audiences can expect to witness. The most impressive trick, in my rather biased opinion having by chance been invited onstage to help perform it, is Hart’s tooth-fairy trick. Despite standing right next to him, I still have absolutely no clue how an envelope that I was holding before revealing my name ended up containing a letter signed with, you guessed it, my full name. 

Hart’s flashy, somewhat derivative style of showmanship involves regularly swelling dramatic music and talking very quickly. It does what it needs to do, but where he really shines is in his rapport with the audience. He creates an infectious feeling of fun with his jokes and banter while smoothly managing some of the mouthier audience members. Hart’s ability to make everybody feel like part of the action really brings out the sense of wonder. 

Ben Hart: HeX, Assembly George Square Gardens, until 25 August, 6.20pm; picture: Matt Crockett.