Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi made a surprise guest appearance at the London opening night of “Black Sabbath – The Ballet” on Wednesday, walking on stage to perform the iconic guitar solo to “Paranoid” for the show’s finale. The unannounced performance at Sadler’s Wells was a stunning moment for the audience, which included Queen guitarist Brian May.
May, a longtime friend of Iommi‘s, captured the moment and shared it on social media. “Wow ! The true Father of Heavy Metal making that beautiful axe sing like a bird tonight at Sadlers Wells,” May wrote. “Tony Iommi plus a 40 piece orchestra and a cast of 50 dancers… Proud to call this infinitely modest and generous genius my friend.”
The ballet, a high-concept production by the Birmingham Royal Ballet, is in the midst of a successful 2025 tour following its sold-out premiere in 2023. The show is the brainchild of ballet director Carlos Acosta, who sold Iommi on the unconventional idea.
“I couldn’t believe it at first, but when we got together at a meeting the enthusiasm in Carlos was incredible,” Iommi said in a recent interview. “He had this same vibe as I had when I put songs together and that excitement of doing it. He knew he had a vision of what it should be, and it gave me the confidence.”
Acosta himself noted the production’s massive success in bringing new audiences to the theater. “Back in 2023 we were blown away by the awesome success of ‘Black Sabbath – The Ballet‘, selling out at every performance… and bringing audiences that had never experienced live dance before to the theatre,” he said.
The 2025 version of the show has been updated with new audio interviews from band members and fans, as well as a “sharpened” sound design “turned up to full volume.”
For Iommi, the production is a triumphant, if bittersweet, celebration of the band’s legacy. He recently expressed his sadness that his late bandmate, Ozzy Osbourne, was never able to see the finished production.
“[The ballet] means everything, and it’s a shame in a lot of ways [Ozzy] didn’t get to see the ballet because he wanted to see it,” Tony said. “It’s our lives and music.”
Ogorthul: Immersed in the bone-shattering world of death metal and beyond. I’m here to excavate the latest news, reviews, and interviews from the extreme metal scene for you.
