I must confess that, until seeing this wonderful ‘juke-box’ musical, Johnny Cash and June Carter were just names to me. Not any more, having just heard over 35 of their best songs in this imaginatively written and staged show. We first meet them in 1955, becoming involved in their lives from each other’s point of view, until their deaths in 2003. We are allowed to see the ups and downs of their lives together, aided by some marvellous music and lyrics which always seem apt.
Most of their songs contain themes of sorrow, moral tribulation and redemption as well as much humour. Cash was known for his deep, calm bass-baritone voice as well as the sound of his backing band, The Tennessee Three, with its train-like chugging rhythms.
What is especially impressive about Des McAnuff and Robert Carey’s book is that not only do they obviously love Country and Gospel music, they also have an affinity with Johnny and June as people and artistes. Their writing is warm-hearted and at times sentimental, but there is never too much dialogue – usually just a couple of lines before the next song. Quite often one can see the ‘joins’ in a juke-box musical, but not here – everything flows beautifully!
The American Christopher Ryan Grant is quite simply superb as Johnny Cash. Not only does he contrive to look like the singer, but he has a gorgeous dark voice and has obviously made a study of the style needed to portray him, as everything he does or says is completely natural. Luckily, he sings and plays in most of the songs, demonstrating that his guitar is not just an instrument he plays, but is actually part of him.
The multi-talented Christina Bianca is June. Whenever I see her in a show, I find that she has real stage presence – one has to watch her. As well as being a consummate actress, she also sings effortlessly and with obvious enjoyment. She is very believable in her role, being quite poignant as she ages.
Their son, John Carter Cash, is played in a very relaxed style, very appropriate to Country Music, by Ryan O’Donnell. He seems to live downstage left, where he is used as the storyteller, as well as commenting on the action. Not only does he look relaxed, but his style of guitar playing is very similar – again, the instrument seems part of him. His singing voice is also very attractive and he is given many opportunities to show what he can do.
The cast is completed by an ensemble of six who, between them, play all the other roles such as Patsy Cline and Kris Kristofferson, as well as producing some glorious close-harmony numbers and playing various instruments, including tubular bells and washboard. Perhaps the best thing about The Ballad of Johnny & June is that everyone involved, including the excellent six-piece onstage band under Connagh Tonkinson, appears to be just having a ‘good time’ and really enjoying themselves! This is infectious and the, at first, rather lukewarm, Brighton audience soon found that they were also having a good time, showing their appreciation loud and long at curtain call.
As with several other shows that I have seen recently, one leaves the theatre feeling that all is right with the world – even though it isn’t. This is a wonderful show in every respect, as I said at the top of this review, and I recommend it very highly – whether or not you think you are a Country Music aficionado! I want to see it again – and I rarely say that!
Review by John Groves
He was a small-town musician and storyteller with a voice that stirred the soul. She was the comedienne of the first family of country music.
The Ballad of Johnny & June takes you inside the soaring highs and shattering lows of a love story that defined an era. From the stage to the road, through triumphs, heartbreak, and redemption this brand-new musical, created with the support of their family and told through the eyes of their son, John Carter Cash, shows why Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash remain one of the most influential couples of the 20th Century.
CAST
Johnny Cash – Christopher Ryan Grant
June Carter Cash – Christina Bianco
John Carter Cash – Ryan O’Donnell
Celyn Cartwright, Abigail Matthews, Peter Peverley, Christopher Short, Chomba S. Taulo, Anne-Marie Wojna, Denis Grindel, Mia Jae, Michael Mahony, Lenny Turner
CREATIVES
Director and Co-Author – Des McAnuff
Co-Author – Robert Cary
Music Supervisor / Arranger / Orchestrator – Ron Melrose
Choreographer – Byron Easley
Designer – Robert Brill
Lighting Designer – Amanda Zieve
Sound Designer – Peter Fitzgerald
Projection Designer – Sean Nieuwenhuis
Costume Designer – Sarafina Bush
Wigs Designer – Alberto Alvarado
UK Associate Director & Choreographer – Dayle Hodge
UK Associate Musical Supervisor – Ben Atkinson
Associate Sound Designer – Kelsh Buchman-Drage
Costume Supervisor & UK Associate Costume Designer – Emily Corner
WHAM Supervisor & UK Associate WHAM Designer – Suzy Barrett
Musical Director – Connagh Tonkinson
Orchestral Management – BW Musicians
Music Copyist – Russ Anixter
Production Manager – Lee Batty & Andy Fox for Setting Line
Casting Director – Serena Hill
Health & Safety Consultant – Chris Luscombe
General Management – Trafalgar Theatre Productions
THE BALLAD OF JOHNNY & JUNE
Theatre Royal Brighton Tickets, 14 to 18 April 2026
Tour continues to 19 September 2026
The Alexandra, Birmingham Tickets
Tue 21 Apr – Sat 25 Apr 2026
Grand Opera House York Tickets
Tue 28 Jul – Sat 1 Aug 2026
Richmond Theatre Tickets
Tue 7 Jul – Sat 11 Jul 2026
