A fusion of heavy metal and dance
Black Sabbath – the Ballet
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Four months after a farewell concert that was followed by the death of their iconic frontman Ozzy Osbourne, the music of Black Sabbath has been rocking the isles in a somewhat different format.
As a Birmingham Royal Ballet production, Black Sabbath – The Ballet fittingly has its origins in the city the band hailed from, debuting in 2023 and has since gone on to international tours and critical acclaim.
The opening night of its three-night run in Edinburgh demonstrated just why it has been such a huge success, transcending boundaries by bringing ballet and heavy metal together in a way that will work for fans of either genre.
Over the course of three acts, it covers the influences that led to the band’s creation, their rise to fame and subsequent excesses that led to them spectacularly parting ways with Osbourne at the end of the 70s, and the lasting legacy of their music.
It is one of those concepts that shouldn’t work but somehow does, thanks to the imagination and tenacity of director Carlos Acosta alongside Black Sabbath founder Tony Iommi, composer Christopher Austin and artistic director and lead choreographer Pontus Lindberg.
Between them, they have reinvented many of the band’s classic tracks alongside some lesser-known material, added new compositions to link them together, and created a storyline brought to life through movement and voiceovers from band members.
The ballet is imaginative and energetic, working with the music and bending it to its own shape rather than just being led by it. At the same time, classic tracks like Paranoid and a long guitar solo, make the show a genuine merging of styles rather than a takeover. It is a very inventive show that is well worth seeing.
Black Sabbath – the Ballet is at the Festival Theatre, Edinburgh until 1 November
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