The Battle
Listed in The Telegraph as one of the best plays to book now!
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?
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.
Directed by Matthew Dunster (Listed in The Stage’s 100 2026, director of 2:22 A Ghost Story and The Hunger Games: on Stage) and starring Mathew Horne (Gavin and Stacey) as the music industry executive who kicked off the race to No 1. between the two bands and Louisa Lytton (Eastenders, 2:22 A Ghost Story) as Meg.
Please note this is a fictionalised account of one of the biggest chart battles in Rock and Roll history, based on research and interviews, it features characters inspired by some very real-life individuals, and some composite characters and conversations entirely imagined by the writer.
Venue
Presented by
Birmingham Rep and Melting Pot
Written by
John Niven
Directed by
Matthew Dunster
Price
Special Offers
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Aged 16 to 25 Discounted tickets are available for this production for registered 16-25 members for performances on Wed 11 Feb, Wed 18 Feb and Wed 25 Feb. T&Cs apply – Find Out More
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Access Performances
Audio Described: Sat 28 Feb 2.30pm (described by Carolyn Smith)
A Free Touch Tour is available to book at 1pm before the Audio Described performance.
BSL Interpreted: Thu 26 Feb 7.30pm (interpreted by Hyacinth Powell)
Captioned: Thu 5 Mar 2.30pm & 7.30pm (captioned by Cara Lawless)
Chilled: Thu 26 Feb 2.30pm
Age Guidance
16+
Please note, no under 5s will be admitted to the auditorium.
Content Advice
This production contains sensitive content including frequent use of very strong language, strong bloody violence and depictions of drug use.
This production will also contain haze, loud music, flashing and strobe lights.
Cast
Brandon Bendell
Brandon trained at Mountview (3 year BA Acting). The Battle marks his professional stage debut.
Film credits include: Silver Haze (dir Sacha Polak)
TV credits include: The Rings of Power (Amazon), My Lady Jane (Amazon), The Devil’s Hour (Amazon)
Harriet Cains
Harriet trained with the Nottingham Television Workshop and is most notable for playing the regular role of ‘Philipa Featherington’ in the Shondaland epic Bridgerton for Netflix. You can also check her out in Half Bad (also for Netflix), the latest series of Marcella for ITV, No Offence for AbbottVision/C4 and hit Jed Mercurio series The Line of Duty. Lead regular roles include ‘Louisa Blackwell’ in ITV crime thriller Safe House alongside Christopher Eccleston and ‘Jem Walker’ in hit BBC series In The Flesh.
Harriet plays Theresa Keane in independent film SAIPAN alongside Eanna Hardwicke and Steve Coogan which premieres at this year’s London Film Festival. Next up on her slate are leading roles in feature films Video Killed The Radio Star and Vows.
Iona Champain
Iona trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.
Theatre credits include: Showcase of Women’s Writing (Bomb Factory Theatre), Falling Falling Falling Falling, Earthquakes in London and Julius Caesar (Richard Burton Theatre Company), Dream School (Mrs C’s Collective), Drag and Cabaret Showcase (SOHO Theatre) and Flushed (Theatre Unlocked).
Television credits include: Casualty (BBC) and The Third Day: Autumn (HBO, Sky, Punchdrunk).
Film credits include: Gobbl (Somesuch), Love Me, Hold Me, Always (Black Lab Films), Misper (Fresh Orange Productions), Sitter (Brother Film Ltd), Goldfish (Padula Productions), Ian After Beer (Rax Films), Gates (Pickup Films) and To the Sea (Rax Films).
Billy Dunmore
Theatre credits include: Apocalypse Laow (Artshole Productions); London With A Perfect Skyline, Romeo and Juliet (Exploding Whale).
Film and Television include: Surface (Series 2), Waterloo Road, Star Wars: Andor, Hustler (Short).
Tommy Garside
Tommy trained at The Manchester School of Theatre.
Television credits include: Falling (Channel 4), Sexy Beat (Paramount+), Bodies (Netflix/Moonage Pictures), Casualty (BBC), Father Brown (BBC), The Rising (Sky Studios).
Stage credits include: A Quiet Room (Tales of Other Mind), The Monster (New National Theatre Tokyo), The Duchess of Malfi (The Manchester School of Theatre), The Beau Defeated (The Manchester School of Theatre).
George Greenland
George trained at Mountview and has since gone on to work across TV, Film, Theatre and Audio.
Theatre credits include: Tell Me Straight (King’s Head Theatre & Chiswick Playhouse)
Television and film credits include: Generation Z (Channel 4), Everything Now (Netflix), Empire of Light (Neal Street), The Strays (Netflix), Eastenders (BBC), Callum The Midwife (BBC), .
Andy Ross
Mathew Horne
Mathew Horne
Damon
Oscar Lloyd
Oscar Lloyd
Louisa Lytton
Louisa is perhaps best known for playing the role of Ruby Allen for over two decades in BBC’s EastEnders.
Stage credits include: 2:22 A Ghost Story and The Girl on the Train, UK Tours.
Television credits include: Murdoch Mysteries, Amazon Prime and Edge of Heaven, ITV.
James Oates
Theatre credits include: Classic! (Hope Mill Theatre); Aladdin (New Theatre Royal); The Elf in the Room (Oldham Coliseum); North of Providence (Hope Mill Theatre); Finding Alice (The Lowry); Orphans (Hope Mill Theatre); Before Juliet (Manchester Shakespeare Company); Of Mice and Men (Blackburn Empire); Borstal Boy (Edinburgh Festival Fringe).
Television credits include: Suspect (ITV, Disney+); Odd Squad (BBC); Waterloo Road (Channel 4); The Other One (BBC); Ten Percent (Amazon Prime); Emmerdale (ITV); Lagging (BBC); Coronation Street (ITV); Paranoid (ITV); Doctors (BBC).
Film credits include: The Roots Manoeuvre (Amazon).
Paddy Stafford
Training: Manchester School of Theatre
Theatre credits include: Mojo (Redbrick); Too Much World All At Once (Box of Tricks), A Christmas Fair (Not Too Tame).
Television credit include: Unforgivable, Doctor Who.
Film credits include: Ultra, Kiddo, Fairview Park, Anon.
Will Taylor
Theatre: The Play That Goes Wrong (UK Tour); Seal Boy (Riverside Studios); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Stafford Gatehouse); Two Tribes (Leeds Playhouse); Poor Shirley Must Make Her Escape (The Nest – Chichester Festival Theatre); The New Musketeers (Trinity Theatre); Private Peaceful (Frinton Summer Theatre); One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Torch Theatre); The 56 (Battersea Arts Centre); E15 (UK Tour); The Iconoclasts (New Diorama); You and I (York Theatre Royal); Wonder Girl (Ovalhouse); Alphabet (Camden People’s Theatre); Departures: A Song Cycle (Pleasance Theatre).
Feature Film: Digger (Tom Cruise Productions/Warner Bros./Legendary Entertainment); The Running Man (Paramount Pictures); Deadbeat (Inside 75 Films).
Television: Mrs Davis (Warner Bros.); Holby City (BBC).
Radio: White Nights; Grief is the Thing with Feathers; Renaissance Man; Escape Kit; Body Tourists (all for BBC Radio 4).
George Usher
George is a recent graduate of the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. The Battle is his professional theatre debut.
Television credits include: Casualty (BBC One)
Theatre credits whilst training include: This is Living, The Watsons, Treasure Island, Twelfth Night (Bristol Old Vic Theatre School)
Creative Team
Writer
John Niven
John Niven
Director
Matthew Dunster
Matthew Dunster
Set and Costume Designer
Fly Davis
Fly Davis
Lighting Designer
Jessica Hung Han Yun
Jessica Hung Han Yun
Sound Designer
Ian Dickinson
Ian Dickinson
Video Designer
Tal Rosner
Tal Rosner
Casting Director