“Lewis and Tolkien”: A conversation about fantasy and real life friendship

There never was a crossover that brought Frodo to Narnia. But, did you know the inventors of both worlds, two of the greatest fantasy writers were once good friends?

And then they weren’t.

Lewis & Tolkien, a new play co-presented by Fire Exit Theatre and Hit & Myth Productions, running Oct. 15–26 at the Engineered Air Theatre, envisions what their relationship was like, at the end.

“It’s a rare and exciting opportunity,” says Joel Cochrane, who plays C.S. Lewis. “We know their work, but what do we know about them? What was their relationship really like? Did they influence each other? Inspire and challenge each other? This play is an extraordinary glimpse into their personal lives.”

Set in Oxford in 1963, the show imagines Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien reuniting years after a falling-out to try to repair their friendship. As they revisit the years that shaped The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia, they explore the tension between imagination, belief, and the bonds that endure even through disagreement.

“They were great friends—and they had a massive falling out,” Cochrane says. “So in a big-picture way, the play is about how you maintain or repair a friendship with someone who may think in a polar opposite way about really important things in life. It’s prescient for what we’re experiencing today in our own culture.”

Duval Lang, who plays Tolkien, says the piece mixes humor with heart.

“They’re two old guys going at it and having fun,” he laughs. “They take the mickey out of each other constantly. It’s a very real relationship — kind of like the two old guys from the Muppets.”

Through that dynamic, audiences get an intimate look at the creative sparks that shaped modern fantasy.

“When Tolkien first wrote The Hobbit, he brought it to their group and everyone kind of said, ‘OK, sure,’” Cochrane recalls. “But it was Lewis who encouraged him— ‘You’ve got to tell us more about that stuff.’ He was instrumental in pushing Tolkien toward The Lord of the Rings.”

Lang adds that one of his favorite moments shows how inspiration can start from boredom: “Tolkien was grading papers, turned one over, saw the back was blank, and started to doodle. He wrote, ‘In a hole in the ground, there lived a hobbit.’ He had no idea what a hobbit was—but that was the match that led him on his journey.”

Lewis & Tolkien is written by Dean Batali, directed by Aaron Coates, and brings together a team of Calgary theatre veterans to explore one of literature’s most fascinating friendships, complete with a few pints along the way.

Lewis & Tolkien runs Oct. 15–26, 2025 at the Engineered Air Theatre at the Werklund Centre.

Tickets at fireexit.ca