The Battle at Birmingham Rep Theatre Review
Image Credit: Helen Murray
Written by Roni for Theatre and Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifited tickets in return for an honest review
Something new has landed at Birmingham Rep to see out the last of the winter days, and it’s just a little bit exciting. From writer John Niven and director Matthew Dunster comes The Battle, a show that promises to transport audiences back 30 years to the 90’s heydays or Britpop – if only they’re willing to roll with it. Will it be a smash hit, or is this the top of the flops?
The Battle is set between February and October of 1995, covering the long hot summer that was the infamous ‘battle of the bands’. We’re talking, of course, about Blur vs Oasis, and when the decision was made for them both to release their new singles, Country House and Roll With It on the same day, sparking a fierce race to be the UK’s number 1. The story is told through snippets of award ceremony chats, moments in the recording studio, industry parties, and backstage discussions, coming together to explore what exactly went on behind the scenes during that tumultuous summer, mincing no words and packing plenty of punches. As D-Day draws closer, tempers are more fraught than ever, leading to some explosive decisions that the boys may regret…
The atmosphere is suitably set for the performance the second you enter the house, with a selection of upbeat 90’s tune blasting over the sound system. The sets are minimal, centring around a series of plexiglass walls arranged in various ways to create recording studios, video sets and more. These are cleverly done and moved, with the help of the cast and some big sliding doors, to create something that feels both authentic and visually striking. Various video clips play on a back wall screen throughout scene changes; some actual footage of raves or news bulletins, others, cartoon style caricatures of 90’s radio DJ’s accompany voiceovers from their respective broadcasts in order to contextualise the chart battle at hand. All place us firmly in a zeitgeist of 90’s nostalgia that feels commonplace in 2026 – a longing for times that felt simpler, if slightly less straight edged than the modern-day music scene.
The team at Birmingham Rep have kindly asked that the ending of this play not be spoiled in reviews, which shall of course be adhered to. However, it should be noted that whilst the last 15 minutes of the show are thoroughly entertaining and fairly hilarious, it does feel as though they have been cut and pasted from an entirely different body of work. This does unfortunately detract slightly from what has been, before that point, a stellar retelling of mostly non-fiction events. It’s a great piece of theatre, but sadly feels very out of place, and brings down the overall piece.
This cast, however, are luckily just incredible. It takes a lot of confidence to portray such well-known, stupidly famous characters, but this group have pulled it off flawlessly. The supporting cast do a fine job with the lesser known characters, including Mathew Horne of Gavin and Stacey fame as Blur’s manager Andy Ross, and honourable mention must go to Will Taylor as Graham Coxton, who provides some very funny moments of common sense amidst the rock star craziness. Oscar Lloyd stars as Damon Albarn, who is quite stoic despite being one of the UK’s biggest musicians of the time. This is, of course, in almost direct contrast to the Gallagher brothers, played here by Paddy Stafford and George Usher. Stafford gives a somewhat calmer, more subdued performance as Noel, and to his credit gets the vibe just right. He is understandably eclipsed, however, by Usher’s performance as Liam, which is so spot on we’re left wondering just how much the real deal has shared and signed off on. Both have the mannerisms and voice of the brothers absolutely nailed, but Usher must get extra credit for keeping up Liam’s jittery and often violent energy perfectly – bravo to all.
In summary, this is an incredibly realistic show that owes a lot to its impeccably cast actors, but is sadly detracted from slightly by a somewhat bizarre ending. This is a great piece of nostalgia for anyone who remembers the 90’s, and whether you were Blur or Oasis, will have you longing for the days of Top of the Pops, and when barcodes on CD’s could make or break the entire country.
★★★★
