New Britpop comedy The Battle to have world premiere in Birmingham

The Battle, a new comedy based on the Britpop music charts in the summer of 1995, will have its world premiere next year.

It will recount when heavyweights, Blur and Oasis, went head-to-head in the greatest chart battle of all time. On one side: the clean-cut, art-school intellectuals from the south. On the other, the raw and unapologetic lads from the north. As rivalries flare and friendships fracture, a mania starts to define an era – were you Blur or Oasis?

It is the first stage play by best-selling novelist John Niven, and will be directed by Matthew Dunster.

Co-presented by Melting Pot and Birmingham Rep, The Battle is said to be “a wickedly funny dive into one of the greatest rivalries in rock history,” and audiences are told to “expect filthy language and razor-sharp dialogue in this cut-throat new comedy that puts you right at the heart of the feuding, the fame, and the fallout.” It is said to feature events including the Brit Awards.

Niven said: “1995: a time long before music splintered into a billion different TikTok feeds. When music was so central to the culture that two pop groups could dominate the entire summer, the evening news, and the front page of every newspaper in the country. We’re going to take you back there. I’ve never written for the stage before, and it has been an absolute blast to do so for the first time with a producer as supportive as Simon and a director as talented as Matthew.”

Dunster added: “I remember the Battle of the Bands. I remember the charts that week. Music mattered. I remember being in my twenties in 1995. What a wild time. Full of energy, naughtiness and hilarity. Just like John Niven’s play. I’m so delighted to be working with John on such a punchy, hilarious and revealing comedy about two of the best bands of all time, Blur and Oasis.”

Also on the creative team are Fly Davis as set and costume designer, Jessica Hung Han Yun as lighting designer, Ian Dickinson as sound designer, Tal Rosner as video designer and casting director, Claire Bleasdale.

The Battle will open at Birmingham Rep on 11 February 2026, ahead of a major UK tour, and prior to the West End.

See tour dates here.