The Battle

The Battle

The Battle dramatizes the famous chart war between Blur and Oasis when both bands released singles in the same week. Set in London, 1995, the play brings to life the rivalry, media hype and shifting identity of the era with energy, humour and cultural punch.

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Written by novelist and screenwriter John Niven, The Battle draws on the real events of the 1995 Britpop era, when Blur’s “Country House” and Oasis’s “Roll With It” competed fiercely for the number one spot. The play premiered at Birmingham Repertory Theatre from February 2026 and is directed by Matthew Dunster. Mathew Horne is cast to play Andy Ross, a music executive key to the story. The narrative uses the rivalry as a lens on class, ambition, media spectacle and regional identities during the ’90s cultural moment.