Black Sabbath – the Ballet review: Don’t be paranoid… ballet and rock combine beautifully

Big hair, eyeliner and… pointe shoes? This exuberant mix of heavy metal and dance was an inspired choice by Birmingham Royal Ballet boss Carlos Acosta

The Birmingham Royal Ballet in ‘Black Sabbath – The Ballet’ (Johan Persson)

There’s an irresistible oomph to Birmingham Royal Ballet’s celebration of Black Sabbath. Saluting Birmingham’s best-known band, the company mix guitar hero antics with big bravura steps and a sense of real affection. It’s an exuberant show, with orchestral-scale heavy metal and, on opening night, a triumphant special appearance from Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi.

It’s a smart and lively choice by company director Carlos Acosta. Black Sabbath – The Ballet has been an immediate sellout, reaching both ballet and rock audiences. It affirms the company’s links to its home city. And though the show itself can be scattershot, it’s appealingly ready to mix it up.

Instead of a jukebox musical, or a biopic, the three acts look at the band from different angles – each with a different choreographer, with Pontus Lidberg as overall director. The orchestral score, by composers Christopher Austin, Marko Nyberg, and Sun Keting, wraps around the original recordings, onstage guitarist Marc Hayward. The brass and percussion are having the time of their lives.

The first act is all about heavy metal – recognising that, like ballet, it’s a heightened and highly theatrical style. Choreographer Raúl Reinoso brings dancers on in doomy procession for the song “War Pigs”, or sends them through whizzing spins for “Paranoid”. It can be overearnest, particularly when evoking song themes. But Reinoso has huge fun matching ballet virtuosity with this music.

Guitarist Hayward plays for dancer Tzu-Chao Chou, who responds to the jagged riffs with an explosive male solo on pointe. The pointe shoes elongate his sharp, stretched poses – and, like metal’s eyeliner and falsetto, they’re a blend of macho and traditionally feminine.

Cassi Abranches’ second act looks at the band itself, using archive interviews. Regan Hutsell storms through a solo to Ozzy Osbourne’s account of his own conflicting personality, wrestling fiercely with her own demons.

‘Heavy metal, like ballet, is a heightened and highly theatrical style’ (Johan Persson)

The band’s own voices are very touching. Iommi tells how he lost the tips of two fingers in a factory accident, but built finger guards that meant he could keep playing. “It worked,” he says, still full of wonder.

Lidberg’s final act looks at the band’s legacy, bringing the full cast on as fans. Designer Alexandre Arrechea dresses them in leotards and Black Sabbath T-shirts, with a chrome demon looming at the back of the stage.

It’s a collective rave, but individual dancers have space to shine. Momoko Hirata shows her gleaming turns. Lachlan Monaghan actually belts out a number before whirling into a leap, while Tyrone Singleton and Céline Gittens are effortlessly sleek and cool. It’s a showcase for the company, as well as for the band.

‘Black Sabbath – The Ballet‘ is showing at Sadler’s Wells Theatre until 21 October