Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight has promised the new dance theatre version of Peaky Blinders will be "absolutely brilliant.
"This is where it will get you," he says, patting his chest with more authenticity than any Premier League footballer caressing his club badge.
"I was inspired by fans all over the world who've taken clips of the show and put it to music so it looks like a choreographed dance.
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"I just think that because music has always been part of the fabric of Peaky, it wasn't such a strange thing to then move it on and into dance.
"I've only seen one ballet, never seen Riverdance... but Peaky Blinders as dance will be really emotional. I can already feel it.
"I worked with Rambert when they did a 12-minute piece for the Peaky Blinders Festival and it was just fantastic.
"I'm not a dance person, but when I watch something like that I have a really strong reaction to it.
"I thought this could expand and we could put something on that would really work.
"Rambert, one of the best dance companies in the world will be dancing and I'm writing the story and we will find things out about the Shelby family, and Tommy and Grace, that we didn't know before."
We're sitting alone in the stalls of the Birmingham Hippodrome where the world premiere of Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby will be held from September 27 to October 2 before moving on to London and a UK tour.
It's a magnificent theatre with one of the country's biggest dance stages. Upstairs in a Dance Hub studio, we've just seen a two-minute flavour of the moves that the all-new version of Peaky Blinders will contain.
The sneak preview illustrated how Rambert's dance theatre style will utilise the power of footsteps to energise their version of the hit BBC1 series.
Steven said the 'rat-tat-tat-tat of the dancers' feet would lend itself from the World War One opening in Flanders - a big clue to where Tommy's redemption will stem from - to the sound of gunfire in the city of heavy metal industries.
The blacksmith's son said: "I am not from a dance background, but when you see 12 million people watching Strictly then it's clear people do like dance.
"You don't need to know anything about it to like it and the best thing about our show is that you will have to leave home to watch it.
"To see it live will be the most powerful way."
Heavy metal dancing
Although not all aspects of the show are currently being revealed, from talking to senior figures involved, BirminghamLive detects that even the city's pioneering heavy metal roots will find a place within the music that will be played live every night.
In a nod to the founding fathers, Black Sabbath, Steven said: "There are some incredible musicians getting involved with the music.
"We're getting a huge amount of collaboration with some of the best music artists in the world, so they are going to be involved.
"Heavy metal came from the whole thing of industry that would be the soundtrack to the Peaky Blinders."
You only need to rewatch the extraordinary opening to Episode One, Series One of the TV drama when Cillian Muprhy's Tommy Shelby rides on horseback through an industrial setting to see what he means by the phrase "the pounding of the hammers...
"The war scenes will have a rhythm, too, a real bass sound.
"You will feel it in your chest and that's what I think will move people quite strongly.
"All of that is so important to give it an industrial, Birmingham feel.
"So yes, we're going to do it and we're two thirds of the way through the choreography.
"From what I've seen it (so far), it's sensational."
Incredible year ahead
There's no doubt that 2022 is going to be an incredibly busy year on top for Steven.
The sixth and final series of Peaky Blinders will begin transmission on BBC One in February.
There are six more episodes to come, all of which are finished and ready to go.
A film version will replace the once-planned seventh series which won't happen "because we lost a year to Covid".
"I've written the film in my head and we'll shoot it in Birmingham in 2023," said Steven.
Having already directed films like Locke, Humminbird and Serenity, would he be fancy directing it himself?
"No," he said, simply. "Too difficult!"
Given the TV series was always set to end with the dawn of World War Two, will that be at the end of series six or in the film?
"The film," said Steven.
New studio 'coming soon'
Steven said the official announcement for his long-cherished dream to create a new film studio in Birmingham was just "weeks away" and it would be in Digbeth and not by the NEC as first mooted.
"The game changer (for the location) there was HS2," he said. "We're hoping to start digging in the ground very soon, but in quite a big way!"
Steven is also involved with masterminding the opening ceremony for the Commonwealth Games (July 28 to August 8).
And Spencer, his film about Princess Diana, could be nominated in some categories at the Academy Awards.
"I don't even know how that works," said Steven, whose script for Dirty Pretty Things was nominated in 2004.
"Spencer is considered to be a contender... there's talk it could receive some nominations, perhaps for best picture, more likely for Kristen Steward (as Diana). Best original screenplay? That's a more tricky one."
All Oscar nominations will be announced on Tuesday, February 8 after voting takes place from January 22 to February 1, with the awards ceremony itself on Sunday, March 27.
As for his beloved Birmingham City's year ahead, Steven literally couldn't bring himself to say anything on the record.
And for a man of his storytelling gifts, that kind of silence isn't necessarily golden, but one that speaks volumes!
Tickets and dates
Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby at Birmingham Hippodrome will run from September 27 to October 2.
Booking Information: 0844 338 5000 / www.birminghamhippodrome.com
The show will then move on to the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre from October 12 to November 6.
The 2023 UK tour will visit Norwich Theatre Royal (17-21 January), Alhambra Theatre, Bradford (25-28 January), Hull New Theatre (31 January-4 February), Mayflower Theatre, Southampton (7-11 February), Royal and Derngate, Northampton (21-25 February), Festival Theatre Edinburgh (28 February-4 March), The Lowry, Salford (14-18 March), Wales Millenium Centre, Cardiff (21-25 March) and Theatre Royal Plymouth (28 March-1 April).
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