Mathew Horne to enter the ring of The Battle!
Melting Pot and Birmingham Rep are today (Wed 25 Jun) thrilled to announce that actor and comedian, Mathew Horne (star of the beloved BBC comedy Gavin and Stacey, The Catherine Tate Show and in the West End, productions of The Tempest and Noises Off) will take on the role of influential Britpop music executive, Andy Ross, caught in the crossfire of one of the most notorious rivalries in British music history in the brand new World Premiere production, The Battle. This 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. It will open here at The Rep from Wed 11 Feb – Sat 07 Mar 2026, ahead of a major UK tour, prior to the West End.
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?
Mathew Horne says of joining the cast of the play:
This play is right in the sweet spot of my teenage cultural experience. I’m thrilled to be exploring this iconic era in music on stage with such a talented creative team involved.”
Co-Producer and Rep Artistic Director 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.”
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).
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.