Reviewed by Nikki Cotter

Opening Night verdict ⭐⭐⭐

Exploring the fierce rivalry between Britpop giants Blur and Oasis during the summer of ’95, The Battle offers a satirical retelling of one of British music’s most iconic chart races.

Back in the mid-nineties the media’s fixation well and truly peaked when it was announced that both bands would release singles on the same day, pitting ‘Roll With It’ against ‘Country House’ in a high-stakes battle to the top.

Writer John Niven, who worked in the music industry at the time has created a witty exploration of build-up to release day, the all-consuming nature of the rivalry and its impact on the relationships of those involved.

What began as a seemingly genius marketing ploy quickly begins to consume the lives of not only the band members but their friends, families and the music execs themselves.

Matthew Horne delivers a strong performance as Blur’s manager, Andy Ross, the original mastermind behind the chart battle. Ruthless in his pursuit of success, he focuses entirely on the media hype while underestimating the all-consuming chaos he’s unleashed.

George Usher makes an impressive stage debut as Liam Gallagher, physically embodying Liam to perfection, as he swears and swaggers in true, LG style. He channels Liam’s Gallagher-esque bravado and chaotic presence with skilled precision.

Taking on the more controlled of the brothers, Paddy Stafford is exceptional as Noel, displaying vividly how the cracks begin to show as the pressure mounts, his performance is nuanced and defined, he more than does justice to the legendary lyricist.

Oscar Lloyd portrays the enormously different character of Damon Albarn with clarity while Will Taylor demonstrates superbly the impact of events on an increasingly fraught Graham Coxon, while Brandon Bendell’s Groucho loving Alex James is spot-on.

Amidst the Britpop chaos, Louisa Lytton’s Meg Mathews and Harriet Cains’ Justine Frischmann offer voices of reason for their respective partners, bringing calm to the testosterone fuelled chaos.

The story is told creatively via scenes from industry parties, award ceremony exchanges, backstage discussions and recording studio sessions. As the pressure builds, tempers fray and bold decisions are made.

This talented cast succeed in capturing the 90s spirit, bringing the era back to nostalgic life for their audience. The script however would benefit from some significant editing in order to pack this production with the punch the original source material provides. The reliance on Liam’s frequent outrageous outbursts becomes a little predictable and leads to some missed opportunities regards pushing the story along with a grittier narrative. The simple staging makes great use of screens broadcasting footage from the time and commentary from DJs such a Jo Whiley, Mark and Lard and Chris Evans however the continual use of cast members changing scenery feels clunky.

The final 15 minutes are wholly unexpected, surreal but ultimately succeed in showing just how absurd this whole battle became. For those of us hooked on the original Britpop rivalry, this show is a nostalgic blast from the past, with some creative reworking it has real potential to become a standout success.

The Battle is on at Manchester’s Opera House until Saturday 21st March, tickets available here.