Full casting has been announced for The Battle, a new comedy charting the bitter rivalry between 90s Britpop bands Oasis and Blur.
The Battle is premiering at Birmingham Rep from 11 February to 7 March, and then playing Manchester Opera House from 17 to 21 March.
Written by former indie rocker and A&R executive John Niven (Kill Your Friends), the show is billed as a wickedly funny dive into one of the greatest rivalries in rock history, featuring legendary personalities and unforgettable clashes.
Already announced in the cast is Gavin & Stacey star Mathew Horne (Death in Paradise, The Tempest), who plays Britpop music exec Andy Ross.
He will be joined by Brandon Bendell (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power) as Alex, Iona Champain (Falling, Falling Falling Falling) as Jo, Harriet Cains (Bridgerton) as Justine, Billy Dunmore (Surface) as Guigsy, Tommy Garside (Sexy Beast) as Bonehead, George Greenland (Generation Z) as Alan White, Oscar Lloyd (Stranger Things: The First Shadow) as Damon, Louisa Lytton (EastEnders) as Meg, and James Oates (Waterloo Road) as Alan McGee.
Also, Paddy Stafford (Mojo) will play Noel, with Will Taylor (The Play That Goes Wrong) as Graham, and George Usher as Liam.
The Battle is directed by Matthew Dunster (2:22 A Ghost Story, The Hunger Games on Stage), with a creative team that also includes Set and costume design by Fly Davis, Lighting design by Jessica Hung Han Yun, Sound design by Ian Dickinson, Video design by Tal Rosner, and casting by Claire Bleasdale.
Set in London in 1995, and mostly based on real events, two of the country’s biggest bands release singles on the same day, beginning the battle of Britpop. On one side, clean-cut, art-school Londoners Blur. On the other: raw and unapologetic lads from Manchester, Oasis. Rivalries flare, friendships fracture and at the centre of it all, a mania that would define an era.
The Battle is produced by Melting Pot, Birmingham Rep and Gavin Kalin. A previously announced tour for The Battle was cancelled back in October.
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