Black Sabbath The Ballet return 'means everything'

Birmingham Royal Ballet's creative director Carlos Acosta and Tony Iommi worked together on the ballet

The worlds of heavy metal and ballet colliding was never one Tony Iommi would have predicted - but working with Birmingham Royal Ballet has meant "everything" to Black Sabbath's legendary guitarist.

Talking on BBC Breakfast, Iommi said he could "never see people dancing" ballet to their music but he was now delighted to see it being done.

He spoke as Black Sabbath - The Ballet is set to return, from 18 September, to tour the UK, Europe and the US. The show's 2023 premiere season sold out bringing many heavy metal fans to ballet for the first time.

Iommi admits he was sceptical when he first heard the idea but now wishes his fellow bandmate Ozzy Osbourne was alive to see it.

"[The ballet] means everything and it's a shame in a lot of ways he didn't get to see the ballet because he wanted to see it. It's our lives and music."

The ballet will return at the Birmingham Hippodrome in September

Birmingham Royal Ballet's artistic director, Carlos Acosta said that while he was growing up in Cuba, Black Sabbath and heavy metal music was prohibited and "taboo".

"It wasn't until I came to this country in 1998 and joined the ballet that I started to know about all these different types of music," he said.

Mr Acosta and the dance company wanted to position both the music and ballet in a celebratory way.

'Carlos' enthusiasm was incredible'

"We wanted to bring something bold, crazy and forward thinking in order to gain new audience members but also bring awareness to the city of Birmingham and the many treasures that emerged from the city," he added.

While he is a fan now Iommi said seeing the enthusiasm from Mr Acosta is what made him see the vision for the show.

"I couldn't believe it at first, but when we got together at a meeting the enthusiasm in Carlos was incredible," he said.

"When Carlos presented it to us, taught me about it, he had this same vibe as I had when I put songs together and that excitement of doing it.

"He knew he had a vision of what it should be, and it gave me the confidence," Iommi said.

The ballet's return will start with a homecoming at Birmingham Hippodrome from 18 to 27 September.