Malta-based husband and wife playwriting team Malcolm and Angele Galea present this steampunk allegory, where a fantasy world allows a couple to navigate the grief that follows baby loss. Magnus Coffinkey is a mender of broken bells, repairing tiny bells on jester’s hats right up to giant steeple bells. When he falls to his death from a church spire, he enters a crepuscular spirit world and must learn about pain, sorrow and even toxic positivity from the characters that he encounters.
Stone gargoyles, hysterical milliners and disappearing children help tell the tale, which is woven around the present day plot of a writer who has lost a baby and buries herself in creating a fictional world. Her doting partner is also heartbroken and her withdrawal hurts him.
Performed zealously by Becky Camilleri and Joseph Zammit, the small room doesn’t require the high volume projection that they both favour for big chunks of the show, and lots of shrill shouting and hammering often feels incongruous with the delicate, whimsical storyline and its serious themes. The production is partnered with Tommy’s, the charity devoted to researching baby loss, stillbirth and premature birth, and the play gives a thoughtful platform for considering the complexities of trauma and recovery, particularly through the lens of couples and creative writers.
The Trials of Magnus Coffinkey, Summerhall, until 31 August (not 24), 10.30am