It may seem that going to the Seymour Centre to sit in on an intellectual discussion between two of the 20th Century’s greatest thinkers at the end of a long day at work or study may be too taxing for many. It is a credit to the acting and production skills of the cast and crew of FREUD’S LAST SESSION that audiences’ fascination with the men and the discussion sustains interest for the full 75 minutes of this play.

Nicholas Papademetriou as Freud and Yannick Lawry as C.S. Lewis confront each other and some of the biggest questions of human existence – love, sex, the existence of God, the meaning of life, love and sex. The dialogue is set against the chilling entry of England into World War II as it is being broadcast on the radio.

Freud, born to Jewish parents in a strongly Roman Catholic town, is an atheist, whilst his invited guest, C.S. Lewis some forty years younger than him, lost his Irish Protestant faith as a teenager, returning to embrace Christianity in his mid 30s. Mark St Germain wrote of this imagined meeting, pitting mutual respect for each other’s intellect with the tensions of the younger against the elder, cultural and belief clashes in a script which keeps the audience engaged. There are enough laughs to break the bleakness. The cast strongly revealed the heart and soul of the two men: their pain, joy, fear and laughter. The creative team added the atmospherics rendering this production an authenticity which drew the audience into the period and fracturing world.

Apart from the radio, the set is a cluttered one of muted dull colour. There are religious iconic artefacts amongst this clutter, reminding us that humans seek to represent and embody the intangible. The audience are true spectators as the actors often have their backs to the audience as they change positions on and off the couch. They oscillate from conversing intellectuals to patients in a psychoanalysis session where the role of doctor and patient are blurred.

It is a sombre period in world affairs and in Freud’s mind as he rails against the universe in his suffering. Freud has oral cancer which has caused him great pain which he displays throughout the show. The pain is all the more poignant as this meeting occurred a week before Freud’s planned suicide.

Clock and Spiel Productions has brought the play to the Seymour Centre for a season until 10th November. A highlight of the season is sure to be the Q&A session following the matinee performance on the last day, Saturday 10 November. The session will involve the cast and crew as well as an expert panel of psychologists and theologians. It will explore the making of this production, as well as the philosophical and theological questions to which Freud and CS Lewis dedicated their lives. Questions from the floor are welcome or may be sent in advance to info@clockandspielproductions.com

It is reinvigorating to have a play and a production such as this to stimulate intellectual discussion relevant to all ages.

For more about Freud’s Last Session, visit {Website:10}