Haunted is an entertaining blend of storytelling and magic tricks with an intriguing and unusual premise.

Showman Kevin Kopfstein spins a tale of having collected items supposedly linked to hauntings and other supernatural occurrences: a padlock from the gates of the notorious Highgate Cemetery, a voodoo doll and tarot deck from New Orleans, a vampire hunters’ kit, the unsigned confession of a dead serial killer, and others.

He makes excellent use of these props in the magic tricks that enhance the stories he tells of hauntings and mysterious deaths. While this may sound macabre, it’s entirely light-hearted, often comedic, and more likely to inspire a Penn-and-Teller level of scepticism than shudders.

The first magic trick was startling, and some of the later ones were unlike any I’ve seen in any other magic shows and left me wondering how they were done… but even when he uses a tarot deck rather than an ordinary deck of cards for his card trick, they’re obviously tricks for all that. It’s difficult to imagine anyone, even a kid, being scared by the show unless they have a phobia of circus clowns.

This is just as well, considering the venue. Problems with the microphone on opening night meant that Kopfstein had to yell over the background noise from the pub, and some of the more subtle tricks (such as a very quiet bell) were almost completely lost in the din. 

It’s a one-man show with no magician’s assistant or sorcerer’s apprentice, so expect some audience involvement - especially if you’re sitting in the front few rows, and possibly more likely if you’re a goth. It’s the best use of magic tricks to highlight stories that I’ve ever seen, and good ghoulish fun for everyone.