It seems to be a rite of passage these days for magicians to cut their teeth on Britain’s Got Talent, and so Ben Hart is one of three alumni conjurers of that contest’s finals appearing at the Fringe. Hart’s latest production, however, could not be further from the loud razzmatazz of BGT. In Jadoo he takes us to the heart and homeland of some of the world’s most famous magic tricks, tracing his own Indian heritage through the country’s ancient street magic, as practiced by Jadoowallahs. 

Hart explains the Jadoowallahs makeshift stage is nothing but a circle drawn in the dust, introducing the idea of magic as a collaborative contract between audience and magician. He tells us anecdotes about his family and past (although obviously with a magician you can never be sure of the line between truth and illusion). The atmosphere he creates is exquisitely beautiful; a form of magic in itself. A walking stick opens into a lotus flower in which he lights a sprig of incense and he magics a candle into flame.

Jadoo mixes the high-end aesthetic of Derren Brown (whose influence can be felt more than once during the show) with something far more pared back and pure. However, in setting himself boundaries of such simplicity, Hart does limit the scope of what he can do, and the show’s climax echoes a trick Brown has performed before with flashier showmanship. It feels as if Hart is still finding his place as a magician, but what a wonderful journey to witness. 

Ben Hart: Jadoo, Assembly George Square Gardens, until 27 August, 6pm.