Britpop battle comes to Birmingham theatre
The Repertory Theatre in Birmingham has announced the full casting for the world premiere of ‘The Battle’, which opens on Wednesday 11 February, 2026.
The Battle is described as a blistering and darkly funny exploration of fame, ego, and the cultural clashes of 1990s Britain.
It offers a window into a moment that defined a generation - and changed the face of British music forever.
It was announced in 2025 that actor and comedian, Matthew Horne will take the role of influential Britpop music executive, Andy Ross, caught in the crossfire of one of the most notorious rivalries in British music history.
The star will be joined by a cast of emerging and establishing talent including:
Brandon Bendell (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Amazon Prime) as Alex,
Iona Champain (Falling, Falling Falling Falling and Earthquakes, Richard Burton Theatre Company as Jo
Harriet Cains (Philippa Featherington in Netflix’s Bridgerton) as Justine
Billy Dunmore (Surface, Apple TV) is Guigsy,
Tommy Garside (Sexy Beast, Paramount+ and Bodies, Netflix) is Bonehead,
George Greenland (Generation Z,Channel 4 and Empire of Light, Neal Street) as Alan White,
Oscar Lloyd (Stranger Things: The First Shadow, West End) as Damon,
Louisa Lytton (Ruby Allen in BBC’s Eastenders and The Girl on the Train, UK Tour) as Meg,
James Oates (Waterloo Road, The Other One BBC) as Alan McGee,
Paddy Stafford (Mojo, Redbrick) as Noel,
Will Taylor (The Play That Goes Wrong, UK Tour) as Graham
George Usher (a recent Bristol Old Vic Theatre School graduate who makes his professional debut in The Battle) as Liam.
Reliving the heady summer of 1995, when Britpop titans Blur and Oasis went head-to-head in one of the greatest chart battles of all time, The Battle marks the stage debut of screenwriter and Sunday Times best-selling novelist John Niven.
Best known for his razor-sharp novels Kill Your Friends and The Second Coming, Niven brings his uncompromising voice to the stage for the first time.
Drawing on his insider experience of the music industry, The Battle offers a darkly comic and satirical take on the chaos, ambition and excess behind the Cool Britannia era.
The production is directed by Matthew Dunster (2:22 A Ghost Story, The Pillowman), one of the UK’s leading theatre directors, bringing Niven’s explosive script to life in a fast-paced, high-energy stage event.
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.
