Western Morning News (Saturday)
Rehearsals ahead of heavy rock ballet
BLACK Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi was joined by the artistic director of the Birmingham Royal Ballet for the launch event of a new show inspired by the pioneering heavy rock band which is coming to the Westcountry.
Rehearsals for Black Sabbath – The Ballet were under way on Thursday ahead of the show’s opening in September.
It will run at the Birmingham Hippodrome from September 23 to 30, with further dates in the autumn in Plymouth and London to be announced.
On Thursday, Iommi and artistic director Carlos Acosta joined the wider creative team in Birmingham to hear about the project’s development.
The show has been described by Acosta as the “next best thing” for fans of the heavy metal band after frontman Ozzy Osbourne recently stepped back from touring because of poor health.
Black Sabbath – The Ballet will merge the world of dance with classic songs by the Birminghambased rockers, alongside new and archive material from the group.
Commissioned for the Birmingham Royal Ballet, the 90-minute show has been given Osbourne’s blessing. Eight of the band’s classic tracks – including Paranoid, Iron Man, War Pigs and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath – have been re-orchestrated for the Royal Ballet Sinfonia, Birmingham Royal Ballet’s permanent orchestra.
Black Sabbath formed in 1969 with lead singer Osbourne, guitarist Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward. Iommi said of the ballet: “Black Sabbath have always been innovators and never been predictable, and it doesn’t come any more unpredictable than this.”
Guitarist Tony Iommi (left) watches dancers from the Birmingham Royal Ballet rehearse