The Trials of Magnus Coffinkey ★★★

The Trials of Magnus Coffinkey at Summerhall is a bit of a baffler, a multi-layered and finely acted fairy tale that feels cannily crafted for children but is resolutely only for adults. As a result, the production is an odd, misbegotten blend that ends up being too much of a head scratcher to be recommendable for either; it’s how Manchester By The Sea would feel if it had been interpreted by The Muppets.

Perhaps that’s a bit harsh, especially considering the excellent performances by Joseph Zammit and Rebecca Camillieri, both of whom can switch characters in an instant with total clarity. Zammit plays Magnus Coffinkey, a bell specialist who has a wish that he is determined to fulfill but will never be able to, as the bell he’s been tasked to repair, “The Bell of What Could Be”, is irreparable. Not only that, he dies on his first attempt, and when he wakes, he finds himself in Gloom, a place between life and death, where he is then told by a sweet spirit named Harmony that he must face three ordeals: guilt, pain, and sorrow.

Terrific as the show’s two performers are, and as strong as Philip Leone Ganado’s direction is, they cannot overcome the fundamental and underlying conceptual issues with the script by Malta-based husband-and-wife playwriting team Angéle and Malcolm Galea. It’s not that they lack skill. The writing is very good and often excellent, and as an exploration of grief, this intensely earnest show might work for some. But for this reviewer, a fundamental question remains unanswered: Who is this play for?