It begins in near-darkness. Four figures, each in their own candlelit corner, summon the mood with a low, gothic hum. Then, from the shadows, emerges our narrator — a spiteful, tap-dancing spirit, equal parts Fred Astaire and Edgar Allan Poe, who proceeds to guide us through the next seventy-five minutes of spectral intrigue. From the first heel-click, it’s clear this isn’t just another ghost story; it’s a wink, a nudge, and an embrace of the sheer theatricality of the afterlife.

At its heart, Ghosted – The Musical is about Henry, a young man adrift in grief after the death of his best friend, Mia. Desperate for connection, he joins Paranormal Survival Anonymous, a support group for those who’ve lost someone… and might just want them back. But Henry’s hopes for a quiet séance are quickly hijacked by that mischievous spirit guide, who has other plans entirely. Enter Lydia, an amateur exorcist with more enthusiasm than experience, and suddenly we’re swept into a quest that blends grief therapy with Scooby-Doo capers, spectral mischief, and a love story that may or may not survive the spirit world’s meddling.

The staging is spare but smart — a wide-open playing space, the band tucked neatly into one corner, their presence felt without overpowering the action. Composer Hayden Kline and lyricist Makena Margolin avoid easy parody, aiming instead for a pop-theatrical sensibility that occasionally delivers a true gem. Some numbers feel a touch underpowered, but when they land, they do so with clarity and charm.

The ensemble is well-cast and clearly committed. Isaac Casey lends Henry an everyman sincerity that keeps the more fantastical beats grounded. Emma-Jane Nannetti gives Mia a wistful presence, reminding us she is more than a plot device. Cormac Hurney’s narrator-spirit — with that sly, vaudevillian edge — provides much of the evening’s fizz. But Juliet Hill’s Lydia is the revelation: brash, funny, and just vulnerable enough to keep us rooting for her.

There are shades of Beetlejuice here, and late-night echoes of The Rocky Horror Show, though Ghosted never tips into direct imitation. It is knowingly silly without being cynical, and while it doesn’t quite achieve the madcap transcendence it sometimes hints at, there’s a beating heart beneath the cobwebs. Overall, it’s a smart, spirited production with cathode-ray sparks of greatness, destined to find a cult following among the musical-gothic nymphs in search of their next fix.

Go — you might make new undead friends, and leave humming a song or two. Which, in its own way, is exactly what the Fringe is all about.