THE TRIALS OF MAGNUS COFFINKEY to Make Edinburgh Fringe Debut
Angele Galea and Malcolm Galea's two-hander explores pregnancy loss through dark fairy tale at the Fringe.
THE TRIALS OF MAGNUS COFFINKEY will make its Edinburgh Festival Fringe debut with a story that blends fantasy, music, and personal experience to explore grief and loss.
Written by married collaborators Angele and Malcolm Galea, the play follows Magnus Coffinkey, who is tasked with repairing a bell atop an impossibly high spire. Success promises the fulfillment of his deepest wish, while failure threatens to leave him with a permanently broken heart. As Magnus undertakes his journey, another story unfolds alongside his own: that of a writer struggling to complete a tale while processing an overwhelming personal loss.
Through metaphor and fairytale imagery, the production addresses the experience of pregnancy and child loss. The fantasy narrative gradually reveals the perspective of a woman writing a bedtime story for a child she will never meet, using the fictional world she has created to navigate grief and remembrance.
The two-hander draws upon experiences shared by the Galeas nearly two decades ago. Their previous collaborations include Plastic and Chicken Bones, winner of the Brighton Fringe Best Newcomer Award, and Porn – The Musical, which received an Offie Award for Best New Musical.
Featuring original music composed by Angele Galea, the production combines storytelling, humor, and theatrical invention while examining themes of mourning, resilience, and connection.
“We've been talking about writing this play for several years but it was difficult to do such a profound and multifaceted experience justice with words,” said Angele and Malcolm Galea. “We would like mourning parents to feel seen, and for support systems to understand better what they're going through.”
They added, “Our experience is silently shared by a great many people who have their own way of dealing with grief. We're hoping this story helps our communities come together and honour such a life changing event. This pushed us to talk to others and create what we hope will serve as a glimmer of hope in the crushing darkness.”
Produced by Vikesh Godhwani, the play has been developed through research and conversations with individuals who have experienced pregnancy and child loss. The production received FringeReview's Outstanding Theatre Award at Brighton Fringe 2024.
Through its combination of fantasy and lived experience, THE TRIALS OF MAGNUS COFFINKEY explores how stories can provide a language for grief and a means of finding hope amid loss.
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