Scottish author and screenwriter John Niven, has announced his new punchy stage comedy The Battle, which will retell the story of Britpop legends Oasis and Blur, detailing their rivalry in the industry.
The Battle will commence in February 2026 and tour around the UK at incredible venues such as Manchester’s Opera House and Edinburgh, Festival Theatre as Niven’s first stage play, directed by Matthew Dunster and co-presented by Melting Pot and Birmingham Rep.
Niven has released a teaser to the show, exhibiting the hype surrounding the iconic feud between the two bands that has been long standing since their vast popularity in the 90s. The video shows notable British names such as Jake Wood who stars in British soap opera Eastenders, and comedy actor Matt Lucas, sharing which of the bands they rooted for at the time of the rivalry.
Oasis, consisting of brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher, Chris Sharrock on drums and McGuigan playing bass, formed in Manchester and released well-loved songs by the likes of ‘Wonderwall’ from their second studio album ‘(What’s The Story) Morning Glory?’ in 1995.
Blur similarly released Britpop fun such as ‘Song 2’ from their self-titled album in 1997. Though, they were formed in London by vocalist Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree.
The two bands went head to head at several points in their career, releasing chart topping hits with Oasis’ debut album ‘Definitely Maybe’ and Blur’s debut ‘Parklife’. Both albums peaked at number one in the UK Album Charts within the same year.
The Battle, however, will centre around the famous chart battle in 1995 when Oasis and Blur went in competition for number one for their respective singles ‘Country House’ and ‘Roll With It’.
The competition was one of the greatest, reported at the time by BBC News Reports and London Tonight.
With both Blur and Oasis releasing smash hits in Britpop and rock, they cultivated a similar fanbase who revelled in their feud. Their fans are long standing today with ‘Definitely Maybe’ re-emerging at number one in 2024, thirty years after its release. Similarly the bands’ conflict is regarded continuously as an exciting part of music history, with the two groups commenting on each other’s latest endeavours and fans posting clips of their favourite biting comments between the two groups.
The Battle is anticipated by many, especially considering the Oasis reunion tour this July. Birmingham Rep and several other venues, describe the show as “a wickedly funny dive into one of the greatest rivalries in rock history,”. Tickets for its debut at Birmingham Rep can be found on their website with other dates and venues on Niven’s Instagram.
