Ding Ding Ding! Let The Battle Begin!
Audiences near and far! Are you ready for the theatrical announcement of the year!
Melting Pot and Birmingham Rep are thrilled to announce the brand new World Premiere production, The Battle, a new comedy based (mostly) on real events – reliving the heady summer of 1995, when heavyweights of Britpop, Blur in the blue corner and Oasis in the red, went head-to-head in the greatest chart battle of all time.
Playing at The Rep from Wed 11 Feb – Sat 07 Mar, ahead of a major UK tour, prior to the West End. The Battle is the first stage play by screenwriter and Sunday Times best-selling novelist John Niven (O’Brother, Kill Your Friends, How To Build A Girl) and directed by Matthew Dunster (2:22 A Ghost Story, The Pillowman).
Set in London, 1995. Two of the country’s biggest bands release singles on the same day, commencing the battle of Britpop. On one side, clean-cut, art-school intellectuals from the South. On the other: raw and unapologetic lads from the North. Rivalries flare, friendships fracture and at the centre of it all a mania that would define an era – were you Blur or Oasis?
The creative team also includes 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.
Further cast and creatives to be announced.
Co-Producer and Artistic Director of the Birmingham Rep Joe Murphy, adds:
Bringing the World Premiere of The Battle to The Rep is genuinely so exciting. This chart battle rocked the nation and quite literally defined a generation and I already know that our audiences are going to have the time of their lives being taken back to the rivalries, the chaos and the big personalities that made it all so unforgettable.”
From the chaos of the Brit Awards to the infamous chart war, The Battle is a wickedly funny dive into one of the greatest rivalries in rock history. Featuring legendary personalities and unforgettable clashes, it was never just about the music, but power, pride, and uncontrollable competitiveness. 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. Get ready to roll with it.
Writer, John Niven, says of his first stage play:
1995: a time long before music splintered into a billion different Tik Tok 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.”
Director, Matthew Dunster, concludes:
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.”
Priority Booking for Gold & Silver Friends, Access Register & 16-25 members is Now Open!
Priority Booking for Bronze Friends opens Thu 1 May at 10am.
Public Booking opens Fri 2 May at 10am.