⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Black Sabbath – The Ballet at Birmingham Hippodrome: Review
A celebration of Birmingham’s artistic history.
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BrumHour saw Black Sabbath – The Ballet at the invite of Birmingham Royal Ballet.
By George Elsmere-Whitney
Black Sabbath – The Ballet at Birmingham Hippodrome: Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐” Truly special”
Where else but in Birmingham are heavy metal and ballet natural partners? Black Sabbath – The Ballet is a celebration of Birmingham’s artistic history, bringing together the world-class Birmingham Royal Ballet with the music of Brummie legends Black Sabbath.
The ballet is divided into three parts, featuring some of the band’s most iconic songs, including War Pigs, Paranoid, and Iron Man. With Tony Iommi as music consultant, lead composer Christopher Austin fuses those unmistakable riffs with soaring strings, shifting seamlessly from classical ballet to the factory floor, to a festival atmosphere, and back again.
Act 1 introduces the Guitar Spirit (Marc Hayward), who plays live on stage as the dancers fall under the spell of the music. An orchestral version of Solitude accompanies a moving pas de deux, with Yaoqian Shang and Javier Rojas dancing locked in a kiss.
In Act 2, the songs are interwoven with interview clips from the band and Sharon Osbourne, telling the story of four lads from Aston who created a genre. The words and movement touch on Tony Iommi’s factory accident that shaped his unique guitar sound, Ozzy Osbourne’s battles with fame, the band’s notorious partying, and their enduring bond through the years.
The Guitar Spirit returns in Act 3, which celebrates the fans and Black Sabbath’s legacy. Tzu-Chao Chou performs a rare en pointe solo for a male dancer, circling the Guitar Spirit in a portrayal of the bond between band and fans, and the sheer joy the music inspires. By the finale, the audience is on their feet, roaring their approval, the last essential piece of a ballet that feels like a rock concert.
Whether you are a fan of heavy metal, ballet, or both, this show offers something unforgettable. Birmingham Royal Ballet has created something truly special, something that could only have come out of Birmingham.
Black Sabbath – The Ballet runs at Birmingham Hippodrome until Saturday 27 September 2025. Discover more about Birmingham Royal Ballet here: brb.org.uk/shows/black-sabbath.
