Black Sabbath – The Ballet

Carlos Acosta is turning up the volume on Birmingham’s musical legacy. Original Heavy Metal heroes, Black Sabbath, provide the soundtrack for Black Sabbath - The Ballet.

This page relates to performances that have already taken place. For a full list of current shows and future performances please see our What's On page.

About Black Sabbath – The Ballet

Black Sabbath forged their unique sound in Birmingham Royal Ballet’s home city. In Black Sabbath – The Ballet expect a spectacular theatrical evening featuring thrilling dance alongside full orchestrations of legendary Black Sabbath tracks such as Paranoid and Iron Man, as well as new orchestral works inspired by their music - 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. Black Sabbath themselves have been closely involved in developing this unique collaboration.

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

Image: Sofia Liñares. © Perou.

Download your castsheet by clicking the buttons on the performance calendar below, or after the performance by visiting our castsheet archive. The final version of each download will be available approx. two hours before the listed performance (earlier versions may be posted in advance if available).

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Black Sabbath – The Ballet is a Ballet Now commission. Ballet Now is generously supported by Oak Foundation’s Special Interest Programme. We are also grateful to the John S Cohen Foundation, the John Feeney Charitable Trust, the H Steven and P E Wood Charitable Trust, the Oakley Charitable Trust, and The Owen Family Trust for their support of Black Sabbath – The Ballet.

Credits

Credits

Original Music

Black Sabbath

Lead Composer, Project Music Supervisor, Conductor

Christopher Austin

Composer / Sound Designer

Marko Nyberg

Composer

Sun Keting

Lead Choreographer

Pontus Lidberg

Choreographer

Raúl Reinoso

Choreographer

Cassi Abranches

Lighting Designer

K.J

Metal Curator

Lisa Meyer

Original Music

Black Sabbath

Lead Composer, Project Music Supervisor, Conductor

Christopher Austin

Composer / Sound Designer

Marko Nyberg

Composer

Sun Keting

Lead Choreographer

Pontus Lidberg

Choreographer

Raúl Reinoso

Choreographer

Cassi Abranches

Lighting Designer

K.J

Metal Curator

Lisa Meyer