Cast News: The Battle

12/01/26

London, 1995. Two of the country’s biggest bands release singles on the same day, setting off a chain reaction that would become one of the most talked-about moments in British music history. What followed was not simply a chart race, but a cultural flashpoint that spilled far beyond record shops and radio playlists, dividing audiences, fuelling headlines and cementing Britpop as a defining movement of the decade.

The Battle is a new stage play written by John Niven that revisits that volatile moment when Blur and Oasis went head to head in what became known as the battle of Britpop. On one side were clean-cut, art-school intellectuals from the South. On the other, raw and unapologetic lads from the North. Rivalries intensified, friendships fractured and the music industry found itself feeding a media storm that would come to symbolise class, identity and competition in 1990s Britain.

The play is set against the backdrop of London in the mid-90s, moving through the chaos of awards ceremonies, record label offices and tabloid-fuelled hype, as ambition and ego collide. While the chart battle itself lasted only a week, the repercussions echoed far longer, shaping careers, public perception and the mythology of an era. The Battle explores how that moment was engineered, amplified and ultimately consumed by an industry hungry for spectacle.

Starring Mathew Horne as a powerful music industry executive who helps ignite the race to number one, the production places audiences inside the decision-making rooms where reputations were gambled and narratives carefully constructed. Horne, known for his work across television and stage, takes on a role positioned at the centre of the conflict, observing and influencing events as they spiral beyond anyone’s control.

Joining him are Brandon Bendell as Alex, Iona Champain as Jo and Harriet Cains as Justine, alongside Billy Dunmore as Guigsy, Tommy Garside as Bonehead and George Greenland as Alan White. The ensemble continues with Oscar Lloyd as Damon, Louisa Lytton as Meg, James Oates as Alan McGee, Paddy Stafford as Noel, Will Taylor as Graham and George Usher, who makes his professional stage debut as Liam.

Written by Sunday Times bestselling novelist and screenwriter John Niven, The Battle marks his first play for the stage. Drawing on his insider knowledge of the music business, Niven brings a sharp eye to the mechanics of fame, rivalry and commercial pressure. Rather than retelling events from the perspective of the bands alone, the play examines the wider ecosystem around them, the executives, journalists and cultural tastemakers whose actions helped turn competition into confrontation.

Directed by Matthew Dunster, whose previous theatre work includes large-scale contemporary drama and reinterpretations of classic texts, the production approaches the material as both a period piece and a broader examination of ambition and power. The story is rooted firmly in its time, yet its themes resonate in an age where rivalry, branding and media attention remain central to popular culture.

The production receives its world premiere at Birmingham Rep, where it runs from Tuesday 11 February to Saturday 7 March 2026. This opening engagement marks the first opportunity for audiences to experience the play, ahead of any future West End plans. Following its Birmingham run, The Battle transfers for a limited engagement at Manchester Opera House from Tuesday 17 to Saturday 21 March 2026, bringing the production to another city closely associated with the Britpop story.

The creative team brings together designers known for bold, contemporary storytelling. Set and costume design is by Fly Davis, whose work often balances scale with intimacy. Lighting design is by Jessica Hung Han Yun, with sound design by Ian Dickinson shaping the sonic landscape of the era. Video design is by Tal Rosner, integrating visual texture into the storytelling, while fight direction is by RC Annie. Casting is by Claire Bleasdale, assembling a company that blends established performers with emerging talent.

From the Brit Awards to the infamous chart showdown, The Battle charts a moment when music became a battleground for cultural identity. It looks beyond nostalgia to examine why this rivalry mattered so deeply, and how it was fuelled by a combination of personality, press attention and commercial ambition. At its core is a simple but enduring question that still sparks debate decades later. Blur or Oasis.

By placing audiences inside the machinery of the music industry at a pivotal moment, The Battle offers a theatrical exploration of how one week in 1995 came to symbolise an era, and why its legacy continues to resonate across British culture today.

Get tickets from the official site HERE