A Stand-Out Collaboration: Friend Partnership & Melting Pot Productions

Since Melting Pot rebranded in 2025, they have continued to flourish, delivering award-winning theatre internationally. Friend Partnership has been instrumental in bolstering their creative ambitions through specialist tax advisory, particularly driving their Theatre Tax Relief (TTR) claims.

With expert guidance from the Creative Industry team at Friend Partnership, Melting Pot Productions has leveraged efficient submission of repayable tax credits on qualifying UK-based productions, maximising financial efficiency, repaying backers and reinvesting savings into further artistic development.

Coming Soon: The Battle – A Britpop Comedy Biopic

Melting Pot Production’s, The Battle is set to tour early next year, a musical-comedy biopic that revisits the legendary rivalry between Oasis and Blur during the chart-dominating summer of 1995. Written by John Niven and directed by Matthew Dunster, performances will begin at Birmingham Repertory Theatre from 11 February to 7 March 2026.

Notably, Mathew Horne, familiar to UK audiences as Gavin from Gavin & Stacey will portray Britpop music exec Andy Ross. Producers envision a lively, razor-sharp comedy that captures the raw rivalry and cultural mania that defined an era.

The Battle tours other major cities and towns including Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Brighton, and Newcastle.

Full dates and venues available at https://thebattleplay.com/#tour.

Current and Touring Productions

Melting Pot continues to produce compelling works both on the West End stage, across the UK and internationally:

Life of Pi: A visually stunning adaptation of Yann Martel’s global bestseller, adapted by the playwright Lolita Chakrabarti has been enchanting audiences since 2022 with its storytelling and innovation.
Inspector Morse: A theatrical reimagining of the iconic detective series, merging nostalgia with fresh theatrical energy.
One Day: An adaptation of the novel written by David Nichols that touched millions and whose drama series adaptation was one of the most watched series on Netflix in 2024
The Girl on the Train: A gripping stage adaptation that translates thrilling suspense from page to performance.
Paranormal Activity: An original story set in the world of the Paranormal Activity film series; this play will haunt you long after the lights go out. The play will be touring North America from October 2025 and in London’s West End from 5^th December 2025.

Friend Partnership’s strategic support ensures productions meet TTR criteria, helping offset core production costs and offering crucial funding flexibility.

How Friend Partnership Makes It Possible

Theatre Tax Relief (TTR) claims

Expert application of the enhanced 80% deduction on qualifying core expenditure and navigating touring rates up to 50% repayable credit
Precise compliance with evolving legislation, from pre‑ and post‑April 2024 rules on UK spending thresholds.
Timely submission to prevent processing delays and better help cashflow

Holistic tax planning - Beyond TTR, Friend Partnership offers integrated advice across VAT, corporation tax and payroll, tailored specifically for Melting Pot’s growing slate of creative productions

Full lifecycle support - From pre-production negotiation and contract structuring to post-production tax credit claims, Friend ensures Melting Pot meets all HMRC criteria and deadlines.

Melting Pot Productions continues to deliver high‑quality, award‑worthy theatre. Through strategic application of theatre tax relief and robust financial planning, Melting Pot’s creative reach has expanded, enabling thrilling productions like The Battle to enter production with confidence and fiscal resilience.