Oasis vs Blur Britpop comedy The Battle to tour the UK

The Battle, a new comedy based on the Britpop music charts in the summer of 1995, will embark on a major UK tour in 2026.

Announced earlier today by Birmingham Rep, the piece will recount when heavyweights, Blur and Oasis, went head-to-head in the greatest chart battle of all time.

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.

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

The Battle will open at Birmingham Rep on 11 February 2026, before visiting theatres across the UK. It includes stops at Curve, Leicester (9 to 14 March), Manchester, Opera House (17 to 21 March), Bromley, Churchill Theatre (24 to 28 March), Woking, New Victoria Theatre (31 March to 4 April), Cheltenham, Everyman Theatre (14 to 19 April), Edinburgh, Festival Theatre (21 to 25 April), Cardiff, Wales Millennium Centre (28 April to 2 May), Sheffield, Lyceum Theatre (5 to 9 May), Ipswich, Regent Theatre (12 to 16 May), London, Richmond Theatre (19 to 23 May),  Glasgow, Theatre Royal (26 to 30 May), York, Grand Opera House (9 to 13 June), Norwich, Theatre Royal (16 to 20 June), Nottingham, Theatre Royal (23 to 27 June), Milton Keynes Theatre (30 June to 4 July), Newcastle, Theatre Royal (7 to 11 July), Brighton, Theatre Royal (14 to 18 July), and Chester, Storyhouse Theatre (28 July to 1 August).