Glasgow’s Theatre Royal is thrilled to announce The Battle, a brand new comedy primarily based (principally) on actual occasions co-presented by Melting Pot and Birmingham Rep, will arrive on the venue from Tuesday 26 – Saturday 30 May 2026.
Relive the heady summer season of 1995 when heavyweights of Britpop, Blur and Oasis, went head-to-head within the best chart battle of all time. The Battle is the primary stage play by screenwriter and Sunday Times best-selling novelist John Niven (O’Brother, Kill Your Friends, How To Build A Girl). Directed by Matthew Dunster (2:22 A Ghost Story, The Pillowman), The Battle opens at Birmingham Rep in February 2026 forward of a significant UK tour, previous to the West End.
London, 1995. Two of the nation’s largest bands launch singles on the identical day, commencing the battle of Britpop. On one facet, clean-cut, art-school intellectuals from the South. On the opposite: uncooked and unapologetic lads from the North. Rivalries flare, friendships fracture and on the centre of all of it a mania that will outline an period – have been you Blur or Oasis?
From the chaos of the Brit Awards to the notorious chart conflict, The Battle is a wickedly humorous dive into one of many best rivalries in rock historical past. Featuring legendary personalities and unforgettable clashes, it was by no means simply concerning the music, however energy, satisfaction, and uncontrollable competitiveness. Expect filthy language and razor-sharp dialogue on this cut-throat new comedy that places you proper on the coronary heart of the feuding, the celebrity, and the fallout. Get able 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, provides:
“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.”
Producer, Simon Friend, continues:
“Throughout my sister’s teenage years, she had an enormous poster of Damon Albarn on her wall, and I remember her falling out with friends over which band they loved more. Ever since, this story has been in the back of my mind, and I was delighted that John Niven agreed to write it because there is no more qualified or hilarious chronicler of this world, and combined with Matthew Dunster directing, we have a fearless team recreating the sweaty mid-‘90s carnage of The Battle of Britpop.”
Co-Producer and Artistic Director of the Birmingham Rep Joe Murphy, concludes:
“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.”
The inventive staff additionally consists of 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.
John Niven labored within the music business for ten years earlier than turning into a novelist and screenwriter. His final ebook, O Brother, was a Sunday Times bestseller. It was shortlisted for The Gordon Burn prize and Scotland’s National Book Award. His display screen credit embody Kill Your Friends, The Trip and How To Build A Girl. He grew up in Ayrshire and now lives in Buckinghamshire. The Battle is his first stage play.
Matthew Dunster is a theatre and movie director and author. He was born and raised in Oldham and now lives in South East London. Previously an actor, he has directed or written over sixty theatre reveals, typically with main nationwide corporations (together with RSC, NT, Royal Court, Young Vic, Royal Exchange, Shakespeare’s Globe, The Bridge), in addition to directing on the West End, Broadway and internationally. He has been the Associate Director of The Young Vic and Shakespeare’s Globe.
His most up-to-date productions embody: 2:22 A Ghost Story, which ran within the West End for 694 performances; Shirley Valentine and The Pillowman, each at The Duke Of Yorks; The Homecoming on the Young Vic and Dealer’s Choice at The Donmar. Matthew has been nominated for 4 Olivier Awards and his Broadway manufacturing of Hangmen was nominated for 5 Tony’s. In Autumn 2025, he’ll direct Conor McPherson’s stage adaptation of The Hunger Games.
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