Review: THE BATTLE, Birmingham Rep

Before Taylor Swift versus Charli XCX - but after The Beatles versus The Rolling Stones - came Blur versus Oasis. David Niven's debut comedy at Birmingham Rep takes us back to the summer of 1995, when temperatures and egos both soared and the nation was gripped by the chart battle between Oasis’ “Roll With It” and Blur's “Country House”.

For a play that centres around music, there's very little actual music, though a few tantalising snippets of songs from bands like Pulp and the Chemical Brothers transport us to the Britpop era. Former music industry heavyweight Niven focuses the action not on the stage amid the glitz and glamour, but on the back-room discussions: the quarrels between band members, the wildly misjudged interviews and the increasingly desperate strategising as the clock counts down to D-Day.

There's plenty of humour to be drawn from the rivalry, with the play leaning into the press’ depiction of the battle as North versus South, the working-class “savages” of Oasis versus Blur's art school intellectuals. Whether it's Liam Gallagher trying to work out what exactly risotto is or Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon discussing philosophy through a bathroom door while the latter staves off a nervous breakdown, the script manages to bring the laughs without feeling like it's punching down. 

The Battle is a true ensemble piece filled with solid performances. George Usher makes his professional debut as Liam and has all the best lines, managing to embody Liam's iconic parka-clad swagger without straying into caricature, while Paddy Stafford captures Noel's more restrained energy but makes us believe dangerous levels of frustration are always simmering below the surface. Oscar Lloyd is totally convincing as Damon, covering his ambition with lightheartedness, and Will Taylor garners laughs and sympathy as the neurotic Graham. 

The biggest name in the cast, Mathew Horne is smooth and unflappable if a little underused as Andy Ross, the music executive who makes the fateful decision to move up the release date for Blur's “Country House”, while Harriet Cairns as Elastica singer Justine Frischmann and Louisa Lytton as Meg Mathews provide essential support in the roles of Damon and Noel's other halves.     

Director Matthew Dunster keeps the action zipping along for the most part, with the exception of one surreal sequence that is certainly brave but somewhat outstays its welcome. Fly Davis’ minimal sets move us from record studio to dressing room to bar, and what they lack in character is made up for by Tal Rosner's fun video designs which portray the radio DJs of the time as sweaty Beavis and Butt-Head style characters who are melting down from the tension of the battle. Although the videos are always easy to hear, on press night Ian Dickinson's sound design faltered when it came to on–stage dialogue, with mic levels leaving some characters able to be heard clearly and others somewhat underpowered, leading to missed jokes.

Managing to ramp up the tension of the conflict while simultaneously lampshading the way it takes on Shakespearean proportions, The Battle succeeds as an ode to a time when British music was at its peak, rockstars were defiant and unafraid, and the nation could be found huddled around the radio on a Sunday night with bated breath. Although it doesn't say anything very profound about class, opportunity or press influence, it touches on the pressures of fame and reminds us that comparison is the thief of joy, while delivering on its promise of wicked comedy. 

If you're a Britpop fan this is essential nostalgic viewing, and for anyone unfamiliar with those heady times, it's a fun dive into a now-lost era of the music industry. Headed for Manchester next prior to the West End, The Battle is sure to find plenty of fans who will go mad fer it.

The Battle at Birmingham Rep until 7 March, then touring