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The original play is a paean to male friendship, uninterrupted conversation, and, of course, the pub.

A 90-minute play about two men talking through their feelings might not sound particularly gripping—thought-provoking, maybe, but not edge-of-your-seat entertaining. Yet Lewis & Tolkien, showing at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC, through the end of November, is exactly that.

Watching the show is like following a close boxing match, as those old Oxford dons C. S. Lewis (Bo Foxworth) and J. R. R. Tolkien (Arye Gross) go toe to toe. The fictional confrontation—set during a relational rift near the end of their lives—is convincing. The two modern titans of Christian thought might have sparred this way, referencing their past debates and slipping in jests about each other’s work.

They dance from anger to affection, from intellectual theorizing to unburdening their souls, from waxing poetic about fantasy novels to reminiscing on nights spent sitting close enough to the fire to bite the coals in their regular haunt, The Eagle and Child pub. The whole time, they’re gulping pint after pint of imaginary beer (it’s water, really) until, regrettably, Lewis concludes it is time to accept the “lament that comes from seeing the bottom of my upturned mug.”

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The conversation is accessible to any theatergoer thanks to pub waitress Veronica (Anna DiGiovanni), a charming audience stand-in. But longtime fans of these writers in particular will find plenty of inside jokes to love. The story is rich, the acting is impressive, and the pacing keeps viewers captivated throughout.

The play also leaves audiences asking earnest questions about their own friendships.