In pictures: Black Sabbath ballet rocks Birmingham

At a glance

Black Sabbath - The Ballet has opened at Birmingham Hippodrome
All tickets have sold for the show which continues in Plymouth and London next month
The ballet features eight songs by the Birmingham heavy metal giants
Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi appeared onstage on the opening night

John Bray

BBC West Midlands

26 September 2023

Image source, Johan Persson
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Black Sabbath - The Ballet is the second Birmingham-focussed commission from Birmingham Royal Ballet director Carlos Acosta.
Image source, Johan Persson
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The first, City of a Thousand Trades which looked at the city’s industrial heritage and multicultural communities, premiered in 2021.
Image source, Johan Persson
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Carlos Acosta told the BBC he had been a big fan of Black Sabbath since a friend introduced him to their music in about 2000.
Image source, Johan Persson
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Eight Black Sabbath tracks feature in the production - Paranoid, Ironman, War Pigs, Black Sabbath, Solitude, Orchid, Laguna Sunrise and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath.
Image source, Johan Persson
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Black Sabbath played their first gig in The Crown pub, not far from Birmingham Royal Ballet’s base on Thorp Street.
Image source, Johan Persson
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Swedish choreographer Pontus Lidburg, Cuban designer Alexandre Arrechea and Tony Award-winning composer Christopher Austin have worked on the three-act work.
Image source, Johan Persson
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New compositions inspired by Black Sabbath are performed live with guitars and drums integrated into the performance.
Image source, Johan Persson
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When the production was first announced, the band's guitarist Tony Iommi said: "I'd never imagined pairing Black Sabbath with ballet, but it's got a nice ring to it."
Image source, Johan Persson
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Birmingham's love affair with Black Sabbath saw the band close the 2022 Commonwealth Games in the city, while the mechanical games bull, which now resides at Birmingham New Street Station, is called Ozzy.

A ballet built around the music of Birmingham heavy metal superstars Black Sabbath is attracting new audiences, according to producers.

Birmingham Royal Ballet says more than 60% of tickets in Birmingham for Black Sabbath - The Ballet have been sold to people who have never attended a ballet before.

The show runs until Saturday 30 September at Birmingham Hippodrome and is sold out.

The opening night saw Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi joined by singer Ozzy Osbourne's wife Sharon, fellow band member Geezer Butler and Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant.

After its Birmingham run, the show will move to Plymouth Theatre Royal from 12-14 October and London’s Sadler’s Wells from 18-21 October.

Johan Persson

Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi made a guest appearance on opening night

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In pictures: Black Sabbath ballet rocks Birmingham

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