Following Black Sabbath’s last-ever gig in July, and Prince of Darkness Ozzy Osbourne’s death just 17 days later, Birmingham is this month welcoming the return of an epic celebration of heavy metal in the city: Black Sabbath - The Ballet. Created in 2023 by Birmingham Royal Ballet, as part of a Birmingham-focused trilogy of shows, the production features full orchestrations of Sabbath’s legendary tracks, with appearances by guitarist Marc Hayward. What’s On spoke to Marc to find out more…

This month sees an iconic Birmingham institution celebrate the city’s greatest band, as Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Black Sabbath - The Ballet returns to the Hippodrome stage.

Following Sabbath’s epic final gig at Villa Park on Saturday 5 July, and Ozzy Osbourne’s death less than a month later, the ballet serves as a fitting tribute both to the band and their lead singer, brilliantly celebrating the legacy of the Birmingham legends.

Prior to Ozzy’s death, What’s On spoke to  guitarist Marc Hayward, who appears onstage in the ballet, alongside the dancers. The production features orchestral versions of the band’s iconic tracks, including Paranoid, War Pigs and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. Marc’s contribution to proceedings is the icing on the cake.

“I’d previously worked with Richard Thomas, who was the dramaturge,” he told What’s On. “I got a text out of the blue saying ‘I’m working on this thing called Black Sabbath - The Ballet, and they want a guitarist - would you be interested?’ How can you not be interested?! Before I knew it, I’m in a dance studio with trained ballerinas! I didn’t quite know what to expect. That leaves you prepared for everything and nothing at the same time. You take everything in your stride, because you don’t know what that stride is. ‘Is it okay if we lift you up and carry you around? Can you still play guitar doing that?’ Yeah, let’s do it!”

The ballet features three acts, each created by a different choreographer and exploring a part of the band’s legacy. Marc takes to the stage in Acts One and Three.

“I’m down as the Guitar Spirit. Act One is about the creation of Heavy Metal and Black Sabbath. The Guitar Spirit is moving the dancers, and moving with the dancers, as various songs from the Sabbath catalogue are coming in and out. It’s quite a fluid scene - it’s really fun. Later on in the ballet, I come back, and that particular act is about the fans, and the band’s relationship with the fans. It’s a joyous celebration of the power of the music.”

Marc is usually found in more traditional gig settings, so being introduced into the world of ballet brought with it a few surprises - particularly when creating the production alongside Birmingham Royal Ballet’s dancers.

“They’re such a wonderful team to work with. From the off, it felt like a huge band. Everyone was working together, and they were very supportive of bringing in someone else. I felt like part of the team. And being on stage with the dancers... they’re incredible! They’re absolute machines. The physicality of what they do is breathtaking. Every time you’re with them, you’re reminded of that - they’re at the peak of their powers; it’s quite awe-inspiring. It’s like being in a band, but full widescreen. The stage is bigger, there are so many more things happening on stage, and then aside from that, the music is even bigger as well. With an orchestra, and the beautiful way that the composers, and especially Chris Austin, have taken the tracks - reimagined, reworked, and new pieces of music as well - it’s an honour to play every time. Overriding the entire thing is the legacy of Sabbath, and what that means to everyone there.”

The production is in a unique position, with the potential to reach two very different audiences. For those less familiar with the world of ballet, Marc is able to bridge the gap between the dancers and the crowd.

“I’m kind of putting my guitar through the fourth wall. The show has been attracting people who go to see ballet but perhaps are not so used to seeing a rock gig, and people coming from the rock world, who are at a ballet for the first time. Hopefully, I fit somewhere in the middle. The audience really gets into it. We’ve just got back from the States, and the audiences out there were crazy - it was great. As soon as the curtain went up, you saw the devil horns in the crowd. They knew they were in for a good night.”

The influence of Black Sabbath stretches around the world - and for Marc, it goes right back to the start of his musical career.

“It’s always been there. I remember doing a battle of the bands thing at school, and the older kids - who are always that little bit taller than you, the ones you look up to and ask to borrow their amps - they came out and did a cover of Iron Man. You can’t escape the influence; it’s through everything. The breadth of their work - no matter which album you delve into, you can hear what has come since.”

The ballet has offered up a few surprises in the past. At the world premiere at the Hippodrome in 2023, Marc was joined on stage by Sabbath’s legendary guitarist, Tony Iommi.

“Again, one of those things you don’t expect to happen! It was an honour to play alongside him - and no added pressure for opening night! You’ve got pre-match jitters, and then the person who actually wrote the music you’re playing is going to be right there next to you… What an honour to play those riffs in sync with the man himself! Looking at him playing Paranoid, there’s no-one else that sounds like him.”

While Iommi’s appearance at the premiere was a one-off, fellow guitarists might recognise the instrument that Marc uses on stage as being Tony’s signature guitar.

“He’s known for the Gibson SG, so it was kind of a prerequisite that I’d be playing one of those. I’ve always had a soft spot for them - the second guitar I owned was an SG, so it always felt like home. I’ve still got it upstairs somewhere! Great guitars. They lend themselves quite well to jumping around and running around a lot. Aerodynamic!”

Having been introduced to the world of ballet, Marc hopes to carry the spirit of the show into his future projects.

“It’s been a game changer. Not only through the musicianship - having to delve deep into the work of someone who’s regarded as one of the greatest guitarists of all time - but also the scale of the production, which is massive; the way that we’re using the stage, and trying to occupy the space. I’d hope that a little fragment of that I can take with me. It’s definitely an experience I’ll never forget.”

Black Sabbath - The Ballet shows at Birmingham Hippodrome from Thursday 18 to Saturday 27 September

By Jessica Clixby