Interview with Rhik Samadder

Blending boxing, music, history and heartfelt storytelling, Dancing in the Mirror is an ambitious new site-specific production staged inside the iconic Fellowship Inn in Lewisham. The very place where legendary boxer Sir Henry Cooper once trained. Written by Sunday Times bestselling author Rhik Samadder in his playwriting debut, the production brings together professional actors, musicians and the Lewisham Creative Chorus for a moving story that spans generations of South London life. I spoke to Rhik about writing for theatre for the first time, collaborating with the community, and why audiences should prepare to laugh, cry, and maybe even text their ex afterwards.

Dancing in the Mirror marks your playwriting debut. What made now the right time to step into writing for theatre?

I have an acting background- so writing for theatre feels fascinatingly familiar and completely new, at the same time. There was an inevitability, in a good way.

You’ve worked across journalism, memoir, and acting. How did those experiences shape your approach to writing this play?

Journalism not at all- it’s a totally different skill. Memoir and theatre share a contract with the audience- one of emotional honesty. Acting makes it easier to serve actors. In the sense of writing hopefully interesting arcs, comic rhythms, and not overwriting. It makes it harder to short change actors, anyway. Not impossible, but harder.

What drew you to the story of Sir Henry Cooper and the world surrounding his legacy?

Not many men put Muhammed Ali on his back. Henry was a south London man, and a gentle one. You can feel the history, specifically his story, when you step into The Fellowship Inn. (Which is where the play is being staged, and which features in the play too.) It’s not the story of Henry Cooper, though. He was a starting point to write into a contemporary love story that has boxing as focusing element. I’ve long been fascinated by boxing as a symbolic act, the huge characters that are drawn to it, and its controversial status within sport. That’s a perfect petri dish for drama.

How important was it to centre real community voices within the piece?

There is a real charge to watching performers of a different background to the traditional stage school pool. There’s no substitute for that reality, that depth of experience. The LCC present the whole play, from design elements to lighting and stage managing. They’re not centred- they are the centre and edges and unseen spaces of the show, which wouldn’t exist without them.

This is a site-specific production at The Fellowship Inn. How has the space shaped the story and the writing?

The building- and the surrounding estate that it sits at the heart of- have this fascinating social history, and a sense of continuity across the twentieth century, and beyond. That gives you a lot for free. We decided to use the pub as a time machine, priming the audience for a story that spans more than a century.

What were the biggest challenges you faced writing your first play?

As a columnist, your deadlines are weekly, or you get a few weeks for a feature. Having a deadline of over a year was…let’s say interesting? The only thing I knew about the story when I sat down to write was that I would be handing it in late. Very late.

How collaborative has the process been with director Thomas Guthrie and the wider team?

I worked with the Lewisham Creative Chorus every week for a year, presenting story ideas, workshopping possible themes, listening to research they compiled. They have as much ownership in this as me. Tom has been a stalwart and brilliant ideas foil- he’s fond of throwing up a radical structural overhaul, or an incisive scene provocation. I can’t wait to see what he gets out of the actors- it’s going to be something special.

Live music plays a role in the piece. How does music function within the storytelling?

Live music is integral to everything the LCC does. There’s a movement language to Dancing in the Mirror, which the music carries. There will be extraordinary vocalists, classically trained musicians, pub singalongs. It’s all about establishing the world of this piece, and the surprising journey the audience will take.

What surprised you most about the process of writing a play?

How much I loved it. I’ve made a living writing about my experiences, using my particular voice. But it’s been exhilarating to become this cast of other people, in the chaotic stage of my head. People unlike me. People living across time from me, as well as every other category of being, with the exception of species. Perhaps that’s next. I’d love to write as an echidna, or pigeon.

What do you hope audiences take away from Dancing in the Mirror when they leave the space?

I always want a reader, listener or audience to be highly moved, and maybe text their ex.

And finally, why should audiences buy tickets?

This is the work of a unique and special group, putting their hearts into a story of love, overcoming challenges, and staying open. They will make you laugh and cry buckets, I guarantee.

With its blend of live music, community storytelling and rich South London history, Dancing in the Mirror promises to be far more than just another night at the theatre. It's an emotionally charged celebration of identity, resilience and connection, staged in a venue steeped in its own remarkable legacy. Whether you're drawn in by the boxing history, the live music, or the promise of a powerful new love story, this is a production that sounds set to leave a lasting impression. Dancing in the Mirror runs at The Fellowship Inn on 22-23 May 2026.

Tickets can be booked here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/musicandtheatreforall/2147125?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAb21jcARxgjRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA81NjcwNjczNDMzNTI0MjcAAafEMyzguXbFBDNUoBHl_dJ2-NM0v8adC4Iv7vYJNyt6JZBYhJIu-hVKG6_vNQ_aem_28OiX7E8sF4XkxWg6Izc9g