Announcing Black Sabbath – The Ballet

It’s ballet like you’ve never seen, or heard, it before. Carlos Acosta is turning up the volume on Birmingham’s musical legacy. Original Heavy Metal heroes Black Sabbath, who forged their unique sound in our home city, have been closely involved in this unique collaboration.

In Black Sabbath – The Ballet expect a spectacular theatrical evening featuring thrilling dance and original Black Sabbath recordings (including Paranoid and Iron Man) alongside full orchestrations of their work (another first) and original new orchestral compositions inspired by the sound of metal – all performed live by the Royal Ballet Sinfonia.

In the second of three Birmingham-focussed commissions, Carlos Acosta was drawn to both the band’s work and its musical legacy as the originators of Heavy Metal. This full-evening ballet promises to be a unique undertaking with three composers and three choreographers, led by renowned Choreographer Pontus Lidberg (whose work has been performed by the Swedish Royal Ballet and the Paris Opera Ballet) and Composer Chris Austin (whose work includes orchestrating the White Stripes music for Wayne McGregor’s Chroma) working alongside award-winning writer Richard Thomas (Jerry Springer, The Opera) to create an extraordinary metal symphony over three acts.

Sparks will undoubtedly fly in this intriguing new response to Black Sabbath’s music and legacy – the first true heavy metal ballet experience.

Black Sabbath – The Ballet opens at Birmingham Hippodrome in September 2023 and tours to Theatre Royal Plymouth and Sadler’s Wells Theatre (full dates and booking details will be shared at a later date).

Click here to learn more.