C.S. Lewis: My Life's Journey 

C. S. Lewis was my first best friend when I was saved. I cried. Thank you, Mr. Payne, Bravo!💋⚔️🕊

I thought he was talking about himself, until he said that his birthday was 1909. I thought what, no way is he that old. That’s when I realized that this was a performance of unequaled quality.

Today I stumbled upon this magnificent video presentation. I am blown away with joy and emotion. I know nothing of David Payne, but for me, today I met C.S. Lewis face to face.

I met Mr. Payne after his presentation in Nashville, Tennessee several years ago; he graciously allowed me to have my picture taken with him. I think I will have the first ten thousand years in Heaven, drinking tea and talking with Mr. Lewis.

I have never ceased to be an avid fan of my friend, C. S. Lewis. No author has ever kept me so spell bound as he has been here. I do agree with him that the younger generation has no cause to disbelieve in God and His Creation if they find someone to tell it to them faithfully and as softly and convincingly as possible.

I’ll have some lines from this read at my funeral. I just listened through twice , and cried each time, marveled each time, and learned each time. And then yearned for more.

20 years ago I lost my husband to cancer when he was 48 and I was 46. I read many books during my grieving. “A Grief Observed” was the most impactful of them all. What a gift that book was to me!

I watched Mr. Payne perform this live last night in Youngstown Ohio ... so unbelievably wonderful.

One word- excellently done, (paraphrase) his wife smiled at God's face upon passing. That is the way to go out.

Cannot begin to know how he had all of this memorized while also as something with such feeling and naturalness, believably as if it was his own story personally lived. What a gift this was.

My goodness! The brilliance of actors never shines quite so brightly as when a lone actor delivers a monologue of such poignancy and power. Well done, Mr. Payne, well done indeed!!

Such a wonderful and beautiful story. Thank you.

As a hospice nurse, I live these sad moments daily. I hate it. I had a patient this week who has a loving husband and two sweet babies aged 9 and 6. Her husband wept through the entire admission process. I am leaving my career in hospice in a month’s time. I just can’t do it anymore. But I will continue to pray for those strong enough to keep at it. LOVE C.S. Lewis and Joy. Shadowlands is one of the best movies ever!!

I feel blessed to have heard this life of C S Lewis. DAVID Pyne was extraordinary.

On a trip to England in the early 80s, I had the improbable good fortune to visit The Kilns, Lewis's home outside of Oxford. There in the living room, I listened to Walt Hooper, Lewis's secretary, tell stories of his life with the great man. I would never have imagined that I would, one day, sit in the room where Mere Christianity was written -- not to mention the books of Narnia. It was obvious that Walt - with his gentle almost hushed recollections of the life that had filled the Kilns - had loved Lewis. It was a very modest place that was full of Lewis's absence, full of the kind of quiet that follows the bang of the back door.

Laughter, tears, joy, importance and a feeling of being with Lewis. This is what Mr. Payne gave to me. Thank you. You don't want to miss this great story.

This is a brilliant portrayal of a brilliant man. C.S.Lewis was a master craftsman of the old school, a gentleman, a soldier of Christ. He is sorely missed.

i was baptized (for the second time) tonight. it was real. i have made my commitment for the rest of my days. Glory be to you God, glory be to you my Lord and Savior Jesus. I cannot wait to speak to Lewis in heaven

I found the notes my father took during a lecture given by C. S. Lewis when he was at Oxford. Fascinating!

Thank you whoever was responsible for bringing this program to my IPad. I have read some of C.S. Lewis’s’ books, but this was excellent and moved me very much. I wish my husband were still alive. There is so much there that we experienced together.

I find myself watching this over and over. Thank you Lord for the gifts of C.S Lewis they bring joy for all to come.❤️

Eloquently & beautifully Relayed as to the souls reaction to true love.

With tears of appreciation I applaud all ...May I be such a witness through my pending death where I am to be born again of spirit..God bless you and keep you HIS children...He is faithful and true!!! Amen

I knew he was amazing with pen. But to hear him tell his story is to intimately share his precious gift. This was unforgettable. Thank you for sharing this with me.

I began reading the works of Lewis more than 40 years ago. I love his books and the story of his life. Thank you for posting this. If anyone out there has never seen the movie "Shadowlands", you really should see it. It is about the life of Lewis and is a really good film.

I'm pleasantly surprised the U of California would tolerate sharing the wisdom of one of the great Christians. More is needed. RU-vid carries a ton of the late Archbishop Fulton Sheen. He had a long running favorite prime time TV show in the 1950's. His insights are badly needed today. Great humor and wisdom in 24 minute shots.

It took me quite a while to realise it was an actor speaking and not C S Lewis himself. It portrayed the man very much as I imagined him to be. An excellent performance, funny, familiar and very moving towards the end.

So proud he is from my city of Belfast, I visited his home and walked in the Lewis garden where liked to relax. And he was very close to his dear friend, Tolkien.

How privileged I feel, I am, having heard his awesome soliloquies.

There are no word just laughs and tears. Wow, what talent, what life. Thank you

C.S.Lewis has a special place in my heart, as my father read all the Narnia books to my brother and I as children. Remembering my father weeping after Shadowlands, as he recalled his own parents' experiences with cancer, brought tears of my own now that he too is gone, from cancer. This play was beautiful and I could have listened for hours more. Thanks so much for sharing it. It has rekindled a desire to read Lewis again.

Lewis one of the most down to earth genuine people ever!!! Nothing held him back from truth or at least not giving up the search until he found truth!

I loved this. What a testimony to the love and glory of Christ, in His people, shining as the sun.

I'm a new fan of CS Lewis I'm ashamed to say, his fame is far less than it should be he is brilliant

Truly, truly fantastic. If you're skimming the comments while considering the video, it's worth the time.

What an awesome performance. You can tell he is one with CS Lewis. The last half hour -- where he talks about his relationship with Joy -- brought me to tears.

What a most eloquent and heartwarming performance, almost as if C.S.Lewis himself was speaking...touched my soul deeply, Thank You!

It feels like I lived through CS Lewis' life and felt what he felt, especially when he spoke about his wife.

A remarkable performance about a remarkable man, a joy from beginning to the end.

How did this guy remember all his lines? Impressive!

David paynes acting chops are impressive. To keep an audience entertained this long by yourself seems the hardest thing to tackle in theater. (Yes i do exclude comedians)

This is truly amazing. As I have done my share of acting I can appreciate that one man sitting in front of an audience with only a chair and a table and speaking more or less non-stop is quite remarkable. To remember all those lines and I agree with the positive comments that others have written. A most unique method of portraying a person's life story. Well done indeed Mr Payne.

Absolutely in awe of David. How wonderful he is. I was totally consumed with his presentation. There were times it was so believable. I loved getting to know CS Lewis. How amazing.

I stumbled across this presentation last week and finished watching it today. I was moved. Well done to Mr. David Payne. I don’t think I’ve been so impressed by a performance about the life of C.S. Lewis since the last time I watched the movie “Shadowlands” with Sir Anthony Hopkins in the lead role.

What a personality; what a mind; what a man! Thank you for sharing this with us. God's speed.

Every word, every sentence, is poetic… As if he does not know how to do it any other way… Brilliant storytelling

Superb. I have listened to this more than once. I cried this is so beautiful. God's grace is in his words.

Masterpiece! Still crying with joy!

As a dedicated and totally hopeless lover of C.S. Lewis and his works, I was delighted iwith David Payne's deceptively effortless rendition of of the life of Lewis. He made me laugh and cry, and brought me totally into Lewis' world. Thank you, David. You have a wonderful gift.

This video started up after another I was watching ended, and suddenly I was held captive for 1 1/2 hours. My heart is full.

I've listened to this 6 times..such a love story.

I can not explain how much I love this.

This film is one of my favorite things posted on RU-vid.

Deeply and incredibly moving. I relished every second of this video. Thank you for posting.

One of the greatest writers along with JRR Tolkien. I’ve read all their works. I marveled T their originality and creativity!

This is absolutely the best oration I’ve ever heard about love, sacrifice, redemption, revelation, salvation, and translation. This was life-changing for me. Siri very much with my time no thank God for the blessing of being privileged to experience it.

What an amazing man. Loved hearing about his faith and his wife.

Brilliant performance. And the fact that CS Lewis got angry at God for what he believed about Him, after his wife died. We always feel guilty , and wonder if we're the only person who feels that way. It's comforting to know that others have gone through situations where they rail at God, when they can't see the reason for what's happened. I've been there any number of times in the last 8 months. Thankfully, God sees the fear that we camouflage in angry words.

I listened. I laughed. I cried. I got angry. And I only needed a hug before I started listening to this. How Wonderful!

GOD IS THE GIVER AND YOU ARE THE GIFT AND WHAT A GIFT YOU ARE . THESE WORDS ARE FOR YOU MR. LEWIS AND HOW TRUE THEY ARE . RIP JACK LEWIS YOUR HOME NOW

Beautifully done, and poignantly delivered. This is the longest video I've ever actively watched on RU-vid.

Wow! What a splendid man to tell the story of splendid C S Lewis! I cried tears of all emotions! ♥️

This truly is a great perfomance. Tears came to my eyes, towards the end ......

Brilliant! Mr Payne is very convincing. A wonderful way t 'meet' an amazing author.

Worth the time to watch. God bless. ❤💕

Magnificent! Thank you for your hard work in bringing one of my favorite authors and Christian inspirations to life!

Done in excellence. Thank you for sharing C.S. Lewis with us Mr. Payne. I met you, personally, in our church in Saratoga Springs, NY. Brilliant and truly funny and light as you are heavy in scholastic. God bless you!!

I have read and loved Lewis since a child but never had a clue there existed video of him. Wow, can the man speak! It pulls me to a bygone age when men could regail an audience with stories and words. I'm inspired to regain such an ability.

That was just wonderful and beautiful. Thank you to all parties responsible.

What a performance. Loved the whole thing.

I'm no fan of religious mythology but I am of this man now .. What an amazing performance.

Thank you so very much UCTV for the journey into this much enlightened man's life. It was a beautiful journey. Thanks, again.

Wonderful life story. Wonderful acting by David Payne.

Brilliant presentation on a brilliant person, I just stumbled into the performance, riveting, enjoyed every bit

So grateful for this exceptional play on one of the greatest writers of the century. I don’t know why but it just popped up on my RU-vid page.thank you very much , truly an excellent piece of acting, I enjoyed every bit of it.

an absolutely brillant performance

If you just randomly clicked on this STOP! You will not find anything else as touching, heartwarming, or sheerly brilliant on the internet today. IF, that is what you're searching for.

I am so greatful that I found this. It is a great blessing to find a living moment with your hero, though I'm sure he would not feel comfortable accepting that status, but non the less its quite true in my case. I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in this. I see God's merciful hand and I've heard His wonderful voice through this transformed man. And fifty plus years on, He is still speaking in as much clarity and power by Jack, where time and culture have no ability to dull. Thank you Lord Jesus for giving us entrance to Your kingdom, by Your precious Holy Blood, and You gave it up to create such people as Mr. Lewis.

2021, June, and as I wait to be gathered and taken home, this gem, this beautiful gem is gifted to me,,,, Oh, my precious Jesus, soon n very soon, we will embrace.................. TO GOD BE THE GLORY..........................

MOST POWERFUL MESSAGE, SPEECH, SERMON, PERFORMANCE I'VE EVER HEARD IN MY LIFE, SAW THE ORIGINAL AIRING ON UCTV AND I STILL FEEL THE SAME WAY ABOUT A DOZEN YEARS LATER......DAVID'S TALENT REALLY RELAYS WHAT A COLOSSAL GENIUS LEWIS WAS !!! I MUST HAVE WATCHED THIS ABOUT A THOUSAND TIMES BY NOW !!! I USE TO PLAY THIS ALL THE TIME IN MY CHAT ROOM ON PAL TALK, AND BEFORE IT WAS OVER HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WOULD SHOW UP, AND MOST ALSO SAID IT WAS THE MOST POWERFUL THING THEY HAVE EVER HEARD !!! DAVID IS A GREAT GIFT TO HUMANITY TO BE ABLE TO GIVE US, SO PERFECTLY, THIS MAN LEWIS, WHO HAS TO BE IN THE TOP 10 OF GREATEST MEN OF ALL TIME !!! BEING A MUSICIAN, THE ONLY OTHER PERSON I KNOW OF ON AS HIGH A GENIUS LEVEL WITH LEWIS, IS FRANZ LISZT.....SO DAVID IS LIKE A GREAT PIANIST RE-CREATING THE MUSIC OF LISZT PERFECTLY !!!

Thank you so much for posting. I first saw David Payne in Scottsdale and it was so much fun. I would encourage anyone who enjoy Lewis and Fine Arts to see his performances.

Brilliantly crafted. Lewis is a treasure.

This brilliance some how popped up on my IPad in the advanced hours of the night. All I can say descriptively: A tour de force, MASTERCLASS in acting and i was profoundly blown away!

I’m in tears. Thank you for sharing this with us. Glory be to God. Now to tell my children and i trust they will listen.

So glad I found this. What a remarkable story of C.S Lewis’s life portrayed magnificently by David Payne.

Very well done. The end actually had me in tears, something which I did not expect.

What an amazing man. I have read some of his books over the years and learned in so many ways. His testimony of his wife was amazing to say the least,. His ultimate acceptance of the cross he bore with the loss of her inspires me. I too am faced with the potential loss of a woman in whom I love deeply, who Also has cancer that appears to be beyond our ability to overcome. I just hope my strength in loosing her is a fraction of what this man had.

In the middle of reading the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe again. Loved hearing the story that it was almost destroyed as a half finished manuscript

Best line among many: So, you are all writers. Scholars? One feels a bit unnerved, it's almost like being a lion in a den of Daniels.

This story touched my heart and much more. Thank You

I ❤ David Payne. C.S. Lewis gave me faith and guidance when I was a child in great need of truth, and the Narnia books nourished my soul.

Kreeft brings Lewis alive. I love them both.

Letter to a friend, after watching David Payne's stunning performance: Thank God for a gift He gave me this morning. I sit, having listened to a one-man show, bathed in wonder, struck by the power of the English language when artfully spoken, bent toward ponderous philosophizing, enthralled once again by great,spiritual realities and a fresh worship of our Almighty God. For one-and-a-half hours (the length of this video I'm sending you), the scene of this one-man show is nothing but a man, a teapot, his tea cup, and his rust-colored, leather wing chair. Throughout, I have smiled continuously, felt the tears close to flowing out of my eyes, and sat, disbelieving, that a writer could tell a tale in such a gloriously, crafted fashion. Its subtle, intellectually challenging quips, quotes and questions about life, elevate any listener via sounds rarely heard in today's audios. C.S. Lewis is virtually resurrected through Englishman, David Payne, who greets his audience holding a teapot and inviting them to join in a chat. His dark suit, vertically striped tie, and white shirt are quite foiled by the starkly styless, light socks that unapologetically sport themselves as he sits in a prim, wing chair. There, this somewhat stocky, aged man, his hairline a bit receding, squirms about as he relives his life's story with you. Frequently he plops his left arm over the top of the chair's wing, or leans to one side, his restless bodily movements signaling the mundane-to-moving funny, grievous, ironic, puzzling moments in the life of a great, literary figure of our lifetimes. My dear Eileen, no evening movie can compare with this intellectually, spiritually mesmerizing communication. The audio fully compensates for the rather staid props and limited actions. Special time must be set aside to listen, because, early on, wonder at the subtle, clever use of the English language will weld the listener to the spot for the duration. David Payne has a phenomenal memory and proves himself to be a seasoned actor. He is an obvious lover of our Lord, as one discovers most clearly in the closing minutes of the video. David Payne evaporated, and we are allowed into the friendly confidences of a living, C.S. Lewis, who devotes the second half of his stunning soliloquy to sentimentalizing the lovely, personal details of the blossoming love between C.S. Lewis and Joy Gresham. Payne could have swimmingly chose a finale with merely the highly emotional, intimate look at his wife Joy's passing-- her last words, her last wit, the reflected glory of God on her face. Instead, he devotes the final precious moments with his audience, not in sermonizing, but unveiling the compelling, almost crushing expectations of the coming, joyous realities of eternity. A coming life that, this side of eternity, is inhabited by those we daily brush shoulders with. They are more than mythical gods and goddesses. Every precious human being is a unique, breathing soul, created in God's image. And there are those about us, benefitters of their faith in God and His salvation, who are truly redeemed immortals -- those I delight in describing as "the deathless ones." Deathless ones from Eden onwards, transcending the pages of the Bible's two testaments and centuries of history. Eileen, I couldn't help but think of you and your dear Tom, who is waiting in Act II, at the beginning of our eternity. If you have never heard this production, and if you are so inclined, I hope you will be blessed with uninterrupted solitude, because every moment of this fabulously constructed soliloquy is savored best by no distraction.

A truly great man that should be appreciated on a much larger scale.

What a gloriously delicious play, and especially the brilliance of Mr Payne's excellent inculcation of C. S. Lewis. I hope I some time I am given the gift of enjoying Mr Payne and Mr Lewis in person.

So wonderfully done.....BRAVO.....Thank you so much.....this is a masterpiece...what a gift to us...Thank you Mr. Payne for bringing CS Lewis to life for us.🤗

Wonderfully done, insightful, humorous and inspiring! Mr Payne did a fabulous job! I can't wait to meet and visit with CS Lewis and Joy one day when we will have time, with no limitations.....what indescribabl

intellectual giant, brillant mind, engaging speaker, profound story

Only saw the movies of some of his books. However listening to him it’s like you were there in the story with them. Whether ur a fan or not he keeps you engaged that you want to know what happens next. His story telling is brilliant. I feel like I know his brother already. Just awesome

In the midst of assiduously 📚 reading: " C.S. Lewis A Biography" well written, researched, immensely informative and detailed by maverick author, A.N. Wilson. Thus- to watch this magnificent illustrative play debuted by David Payne, an exceptional actor, in which segments of this play parallel to the facts of Lewis' s biography.