The world première of a comedy “based (mostly) on real events, reliving the heady summer of 1995 when heavyweights of Britpop Blur and Oasis went head-to-head in the greatest chart battle of all time” is to be staged at Birmingham Rep.
The Battle is the first play by screenwriter and novelist John Niven, who 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’s been an absolute blast to do so for the first time with a director as talented as Matthew (Dunster).”
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.”
Co-produced by Melting Pot and Birmingham Rep, The Battle will run at the Rep from Wednesday 11 February until Saturday 7 March 2026. It will then go on a major UK tour before transferring to the West End. The cast will be revealed later.