West End play to retell story of Blur vs Oasis battle

The upcoming play, reportedly titled The Battle, is currently in development. It will delve into the rivalry between Blur and Oasis, a feud which defined the 90s Britpop era.
The tense competition between the two icons lasted throughout the 90s as each band rose to fame and conquered the UK music scene.

The plot will focus on the summer of 1995, when both bands released singles, and fans debated who would top the charts. While Blur won that battle with ‘Country House’, by selling more records than Oasis’ ‘Roll With It’, bassist Alex James later said that Oasis won the war.

The play has been written by writer John Niven - an A&R executive and former indie rocker. Simon Friend who worked on productions such as Ghost Stories and The Girl On The Train is the producer.

Speaking with Deadline recently, Friend announced the news regarding the production. He described the play as “a comedy with teeth”, as well as revealing that negotiations are currently underway with a “notable director”.

The team are currently searching for the ideal cast to play Blur members Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James and Dave Rowntree, and Oasis brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher.

Simon Friend has confirmed that no members from the bands will be involved in the production in any capacity. Details regarding the venue, dates and tickets have yet to be revealed.

The announcement of the theatre production follows the news of Oasis' long-anticipated reconciliation and 2025 reunion tour.