Presented by Give or Take Productions

Review by Dominic Corr

Red Lecture Theatre at Summerhall

Escapism becomes a desperate fortress against unbearable grief in The Trials of Magnus Coffinkey, an emotionally searing, steampunk-infused allegory crafted by Maltese writing duo Malcolm and Angéle Galea. What initially masquerades as a whimsical fable about a toy-town clockmaker quickly strips away its fantastical layers to expose the agonising reality of baby loss and shared spousal trauma.

The narrative follows the titular Magnus (Joseph Zammit), a mender of miniature chimes and giant church bells, who plungingly falls to his demise while attempting a perilous steeple repair. Relegated to a shadowy, autumnal limbo, he encounters an array of surreal figures—from stone gargoyles to eccentric milliners—as he navigates physical agony and toxic positivity. Concurrently, a parallel framing plot reveals that this gothic universe is being penned by a grieving mother attempting to process a devastating miscarriage, leaving her surviving husband struggling to reach her through the fog of fictional detachment.

As a central partnership, Zammit and Rebecca Camilleri deliver immensely committed performances. Camilleri performs a formidable acting feat, shapeshifting across a multitude of roles with fluid vocal and physical agility. The emotional transition from childlike fairy tale into raw, heart-wrenching reality is executed with surgical, wrought intensity.

Where the production occasionally stumbles is in its aesthetic scale and vocal balance. The physical staging remains somewhat utilitarian and sparse, failing to fully capture the rich, intricate world-building promised by the text, but so is the limitation of the Fringe. Furthermore, within the intimate confines of the auditorium, both performers rely on an overly amplified delivery that can feel incongruous with the delicate, tender nature of the core subject matter, where a quieter, more nuanced directorial touch is needed for the underlying heartbreak to breathe.

Partnered with the baby loss charity Tommy’s, The Trials of Magnus Coffinkey is an extraordinarily poignant, brave exploration of creative coping mechanisms. It is an intelligent, deeply moving piece of theatre that, despite its minor staging flaws, leaves a profound, lingering mark on the heart.

---