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The Herald Scotland
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
How the famous Oasis-Blur chart war became a West End play
But given the Irvine-born author's first life was as a music industry professional in the 1990s, the subject we alight on before too long is not fathers but brothers – two in particular, proudly Mancunian and currently enjoying the full glare of the media spotlight as their epic reunion tour hits the UK's stadiums. Yes, it's Oasis. Niven first encountered the band supporting St Etienne at the Plaza in Glasgow in December 1993, seven months after their historic appearance at King Tut's Wah Wah Hut. At first he didn't see what the fuss was about. 'But then I saw them again a few months later and it was like: 'Oh wow! Okay I get this now. Then I saw them at Glastonbury in the summer of 1994 and I was at Maine Road.' That was the iconic 1996 show at the old home of the Gallaghers' beloved Manchester City FC. 'So I was there for a few of the pivotal moments. They were a very powerful rock and roll group in their time and by all accounts they still are.' As for the why, it's all down to the power of the frontman. 'Liam, even to kids who are 16 or 17 now, is a stone cold legend gangster. He just has this superpower aura of invincibility. He's just the coolest guy.' But Niven has skin in the Oasis reunion tour in more ways than one. As luck would have it, he has just completed a play called The Battle which tells the story of the race to number one between Oasis and Blur in the summer of 1995. 'I started writing it before the Oasis reformation, so I was just stunned when it was announced,' he laughs. Read more from Barry Didcock: The Battle opens at Birmingham Rep in February before transferring to the West End and stars Gavin And Stacey's Matthew Horne as the music industry executive masterminding the hype war. But Niven says he originally turned down the approach from producer Simon Friend. 'I thought he wanted Britpop! The Musical and I said: 'It's not really what I do.' But then, as I thought about it, I thought there might be a really funny sort of David Mamet-type play about men screaming at each other in rooms. About something that, when we pull the lens back a little, is just ridiculous – which record's number one. Who cares? But it was such an interesting cultural time to shine the light back on because you forget the centrality of pop records to the culture, that it went from the pages of the NME to the 10 O'Clock News. The whole country up to the age of about 35 was very invested in this story. It's difficult to imagine pop music with that level of centrality today.' As for Oasis themselves, he has some words of caution, however. 'I often think with band reformations it's a bit like Samuel Johnson's words on second marriages – a triumph of hope over experience. So we'll see if they make it to the end of the dates.' The play's the thing Like an angry piranha the ongoing catastrophe in Gaza and the Occupied West Bank is already nibbling at the tender bits of the upcoming Edinburgh Festival. So where transgender and environmental issues have dominated the debate in previous years it seems likely the shouting and complaining and protesting in 2025 will have a hard geopolitical focus. The noise is unavoidable, but it's to be hoped it doesn't obscure the main business of the world's largest arts festival – to present work which addresses issues like this in a considered fashion. One well-regarded play on the subject of Israel's treatment of the Palestinians is My Name Is Rachel Corrie, based on the diaries of the American activist killed by the Israeli army in Rafah in the Gaza Strip in 2003. The play was co-created two decades ago by Alan Rickman and journalist Katharine Viner, now editor of The Guardian. Rickman also directed the first staging, at London's prestigious Royal Court Theatre in 2005. Two decades, little has changed. The play is still stingingly fresh. Sascha Shinder in My Name Is Rachel Corrie (Image: Tom Miller) With that in mind I had been wondering if we would see a revival this year. We are. Zoo Southside is the venue, the play runs for the full month of the festival and stars Sascha Shinder in a production by award-winning Scottish theatre director Susan Worsfold. 'Like many British Jews, I grew up with a narrow, emotionally-charged view of Israel as a place of safety and identity,' says Shinder. 'Over time, I found myself caught between Leftist friends condemning Israel and family defending it. After October 7th, I was flooded with emotion but felt uninformed. I needed to understand more. When I found My Name Is Rachel Corrie, it felt like a lightning bolt. Rachel gave voice to questions and feelings I couldn't articulate. Her journey – from privileged idealism to confronting brutal reality – mirrored my own in many ways. Her humanity, her refusal to see the world in binaries, deeply moved me.' Difficult thing to do, step away from binaries. But history suggests it's ultimately the only way through. And finally The Herald's theatre critic Neil Cooper is out and about and recently visited Theatre 118 in Glasgow's Merchant City to take in two shows. The first was Fools On A Hill, a new work about (possibly misplaced) religious belief by Chris Patrick. The second was Madonna/Whore, another new play – this one by Julie Calderwood – and set in a maximum-security prison. Toxic masculinity and the abuse of women is the sobering subject of that one. Neil also took in The Tommy Burns Story at the King's Theatre, Glasgow. Elsewhere Gayle Anderson watched broadcaster, clergyman and former keyboard player with The Communards Richard Coles turn raconteur at the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh. 'Memories of Jimmy Somerville hit the mark,' says Gayle. 'Who knew the wee man was such a big fan of French enamel cookware?' And of course there was the small matter of TRNSMT at the weekend and before that an appearance by yon Irish rap trio who have been in the news a lot recently. The Herald's Jody Harrison and Marissa MacWhirter were in attendance at Glasgow Green for headline appearances by Fontaines DC, Wet Leg and The Script while Teddy Jamieson was getting his Brits out at the Kneecap gig.
Glasgow Times
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Gavin and Stacey star Mathew Horne in Glasgow stage comedy
Mathew Horne will appear in The Battle, a darkly comic play centred on the infamous 1995 Britpop chart rivalry between Blur and Oasis. The play will run at the Theatre Royal from May 26 to 30, 2026. Mathew, best known for his role as Gavin in the BBC sitcom Gavin and Stacey, will play Andy Ross, the music executive who found himself in the crossfire when two of the country's biggest bands released singles on the same day. Mathew Horne will play Andy Ross (Image: Supplied) The play promises a "wickedly funny dive" into the themes of fame, ego, and cultural clashes of 1990s Britain, taking audiences behind the scenes of a rivalry that defined a generation and reshaped British music. Mathew said: "This play is right in the sweet spot of my teenage cultural experience. Read more: Glasgow's new ship hall opened in honour of woman shipbuilding pioneer Oasis gives fans sneak peak at merch pop-up shops ahead of huge tour "I'm thrilled to be exploring this iconic era in music on stage with such a talented creative team involved." Mathew has a wide range of theatre, film, and television credits. Theatre credits include Endgame, Noises Off, and Rain Man, while film credits include Bad Education and Breaking the Bank. His television work includes Dad's Army: The Lost Episodes and Agatha Raisin. The Battle is directed by Matthew Dunster (Image: Chris Mann) The Battle is the first stage play by screenwriter and Sunday Times best-selling novelist John Niven. It is directed by Matthew Dunster, known for his work on 2:22 A Ghost Story and The Pillowman. For more details and tickets, go to The Battle promises to deliver "filthy language and razor-sharp dialogue" as it dives into the heart of a rivalry fuelled by more than just music. The creative team 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 Claire Bleasdale as casting director.
The Guardian
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Britpop battle between Blur and Oasis revisited in ‘punchy' new comedy
It was the great Britpop showdown in the summer of 1995, billed as a contest between cheeky chaps and lairy lads. Thirty years on, a new play is to revisit the fierce rivalry between Blur and Oasis when both British bands put out a new single in the same week and competed to grab the No 1 spot in the charts. Some purchased both releases, many couldn't care less, but for a few days it was a decision that defined you: whether to spend £2.99 on Oasis's Roll With It or Blur's Country House? The Battle is the debut stage play of novelist and screenwriter John Niven who said of the era: '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.' These days, said Niven, music has 'splintered into a billion different TikTok feeds'. The Official UK Singles Chart, now based on streams and downloads as well as CDs and vinyl, does not bring the nation together as its Sunday afternoon radio broadcasts once did. The play's director, Matthew Dunster, said of the time: 'Music mattered. I remember being in my 20s in 1995. What a wild time. Full of energy, naughtiness and hilarity. Just like John Niven's play.' The Battle, said Dunster, is 'a punchy, hilarious and revealing comedy about two of the best bands of all time'. The play – billed as 'based (mostly) on real events' – will follow the feud between the two bands preceding the chart battle, including the 1995 Brit awards where Blur beat Oasis to the trophies for best British single, album and group of the year. A year after the chart battle, coverage of a music industry charity football match centred on Liam Gallagher and Damon Albarn tussling on the pitch as the group's rivalry continued to be hyped by the media. The new play will explore how music fans clashed as they picked which band to support. An allegiance to Blur or Oasis could go beyond the tunes and also open up questions about class, fashion, masculinity and the north-south divide. Producer Simon Friend said: '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. Combined with Matthew Dunster directing, we have a fearless team recreating the sweaty mid-90s carnage of the Battle of Britpop'. Niven worked in the music industry for more than a decade and drew upon some of his experiences in the Britpop novel Kill Your Friends, which was published in 2008 and then adapted as a film in 2015. Dunster is the director of the hit 2:22: A Ghost Story, is currently reviving Dealer's Choice at the Donmar Warehouse and will this summer stage an adaptation of The Hunger Games in London. Casting for The Battle has not yet been announced. The play opens at Birmingham Rep in February. Joe Murphy, the theatre's artistic director, said: '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.' After it finishes in Birmingham the play will go on tour and have a West End run. As spoilers go, it's not quite up there with The Mousetrap but, for the record, Blur emerged triumphant that Sunday in mid-August. Country House sold 274,000 copies while Roll With It shifted 216,000. On top of their Britpop rivalries, Oasis's Gallagher brothers also feuded with each other for years but this summer they are reuniting for the much-anticipated Oasis 25 international tour. In a joint statement after its announcement, the band said: 'The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned.' The Blur v Oasis battle has also long since abated. 'I like them,' said Blur's Alex James in 2024. 'He's an incredible singer, Liam, and he can't help being a rock star.'
Wales Online
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
New Cardiff date for Oasis show inspired by Britpop feud with Blur
New Cardiff date for Oasis show inspired by Britpop feud with Blur The Battle is a new comedy that will relive the heady summer of 1995, when Blur and Oasis went head-to-head in the 'greatest chart battle of all time' - and the play is coming to Cardiff Oasis' Liam Gallagher and Blur's Damon Albarn go head to head in a charity football match back in 1996 (Image: mirrorpix ) A new comedy production, inspired by the infamous 1990s Britpop rivalry between Blur and Oasis, is set to debut - and it will head to Cardiff on a major UK tour before the West End. Billed as a "new comedy based (mostly) on real events", The Battle revisits the pivotal summer of 1995, when Blur and Oasis engaged in the "greatest chart battle of all time". This epic clash began with both bands releasing singles on the same day, sparking a heated competition for the top spot between Blur's Country House and Oasis' Roll With It. However, this musical showdown soon evolved into a cultural phenomenon, pitting the polished, art-school intellectuals from the South against the unapologetic, raw talent from the North, reports the Manchester Evening News. From superstar gigs to cosy pubs, find out What's On in Wales by signing up to our newsletter here . Renowned screenwriter and Sunday Times best-selling novelist John Niven (O'Brother, Kill Your Friends, How To Build A Girl) makes his stage play debut with The Battle. The production is directed by Matthew Dunster (2:22 A Ghost Story, The Pillowman). The Battle will take the stage at Cardiff's Wales Millennium Centre from Tuesday, April 28 – Saturday, May 2, 2026, as part of its extensive UK tour before reaching the West End. Theatre officials promise an unforgettable experience, urging audiences to "Get ready to roll with it." This wickedly funny production delves into one of rock history's most iconic rivalries, featuring larger-than-life personalities, explosive confrontations, and the cutthroat world of power, pride, and unbridled competitiveness. Theatre enthusiasts are in for a treat with the new comedy that delves into the notorious Gallagher brothers' world, complete with their signature expletives and incisive banter, immersing audiences in the midst of sibling rivalry, stardom, and the subsequent fallout. The Battle: Blur v Oasis is a new comedy play going on UK tour in 2026 including to Cardiff (Image: The Battle ) Playwright John Niven said: "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 also shared his excitement and said: "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 reminisced about how his sister was an ardent fan of Damon Albarn during her teens, with a colossal poster of the singer adorning her wall and remembered fervent debates with friends about their preferred bands. He said: "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." With its debut set for Birmingham, The Battle is a production put together by Melting Pot, Birmingham Rep and Gavin Kalin, and is scheduled to tour throughout the UK following its premiere. For those eager to attend, general ticket sales kick off at 10 am on Friday, May 2, with purchases available through ATG here. The lineup of The Battle tour dates stretches into the year 2025. Following its World Premiere in Birmingham, the tour is set to travel across the UK, stopping at: Article continues below Leicester's Curve Theatre from Tuesday, March 10 – Saturday, March 14 Manchester's Opera House from Tuesday, March 17 - Saturday, March 21 Bromley's Churchill Theatre from Tuesday, March 24 – Saturday, March 28 Woking's New Victoria Theatre from Tuesday, March 31 – Saturday, April 4 Cheltenham's Everyman Theatre from Tuesday, April 14 – Saturday, April 18 Edinburgh's Festival Theatre from Tuesday, April 21 – Saturday, April 25 Cardiff's Wales Millennium Centre from Tuesday, April 28 – Saturday, May 2 Sheffield's Lyceum Theatre from Tuesday, May 5 – Saturday, May 9 Ipswich's Regent Theatre from Tuesday, May 12 – Saturday, May 16 London's Richmond Theatre from Tuesday, May 19 - Saturday, May 23 Glasgow's Theatre Royal from Tuesday, May 26 – Saturday, May 30 York's Grand Opera House from Tuesday, June 9 – Saturday, June 13 Norwich's Theatre Royal from Tuesday, June 16 – Saturday, June 20 Nottingham's Theatre Royal from Tuesday, June 23 – Saturday, June 27 Milton Keynes Theatre from Tuesday, June 30 – Saturday, July 4 Newcastle's Theatre Royal from Tuesday, July 7 – Saturday, July 11 Brighton's Theatre Royal from Tuesday, July 14 – Saturday, July 18 Chester's Storyhouse Theatre from Tuesday, July 28 – Saturday, August 1
