Birmingham Royal Ballet - Black Sabbath

Mixing heavy rock, an orchestra and a full ballet company may seem like a crazy idea, and it is, but it works. It works. It really works!

I have always been a Black Sabbath fan but I really don't feel it would be necessary to enjoy this show. You don't need to know the music in advance to appreciate the dance and most of the music is not played in its original form but n cleverly orchestrated versions that please both the fans and newcomers.

Set and lighting are simple and impressive but it is the choreography and the amazing troupe of dancers that carry this show. Up to 32 (if my counting worked) dancers at a time mixing traditional ballet styles and contemporary dance with some amazing group effects such as the depiction of heavy machinery. The presentations vary from powerful to intimate, aggressive to sensuous, even romantic as the "kissing duet" runs on. 

Split into three parts, "The Music", "The Band" and "The Fans" with elements of the first dances echoing through the later sections, the dance never has a chance to get tired or boring - continuously moving on and re-inventing itself in front of our eyes. The opening War Pigs sequence was particularly effective and drew me straight in to the show. Live on-stage lead guitar from Marc Hayward really adds to the show too.

This is an amazing show, I would happily have seen the whole thing again immediately after it ended ... nothing short of brilliant!