Country music's most famous love affair: The Ballad of Johnny and June

REVIEW: The Ballad of Johnny and June at The New Theatre

This week, The New Theatre is presenting The Ballad of Johnny and June which portrays the love story between the legendary Johnny Cash, and his loving wife June Carter Cash.

We were invited to last night's (Tuesday 10 March) opening night.

The story is told through the eyes of John Carter Cash, the pair's beloved son, played by Ryan O’Donnell, who tells the tale of his parents' love story, mentioning the highs and lows that the pair faced.

We see the couple's ‘love at first sight’ moment, as well as snippets of their important moments, both in their lives together and separately.

Taking on the role of Johnny Cash is Christopher Ryan Grant, an American musical theatre star who originated the role in New York and Canada, and is bringing it to all of us in the UK.

His co-star is Christina Bianco as June Carter Cash, who has previously starred in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and The Wizard of Oz.

The rest of the cast is made up of Peter Peverley, Ceylon Cartwright, Abigail Matthews, Annie-Marie Wojna, Christopher Short, Chombas Taulo, Denis Grindel, Mia Jae, Michael Mahony and Lenny Turner, most of whom play more than one role in this whole production brilliantly, showing how well they all work together to bring this production to life.

The set for the show is the definition of ‘country vibes’. The ‘wooden’ look proved simple but effective, transforming from different stages across America to simple elements of their home lives.

There are no dramatic set changes, yet I don’t feel it is missed; the story uses clever techniques, such as a spotlight, or a corner of the stage to highlight where the story was going. We never missed the appearance of a new set.

As expected, the music in this theatre show is nothing short of brilliant. Obviously, all the main hits were performed, such as Ring of Fire, Hurt, Folsom Prison Blues, but there were also plenty more, such as songs Johnny had recorded with June.

Every song was honoured and given a beautiful rendition, staying true to the sound of Johnny Cash. Grant especially embodies the voice of Johnny impeccably, sounding so true to the voice we all know and love. It’s made me want to listen to more of his back catalogue of music.

I know little about Johnny Cash, or his wife June (although I was surprised by how many songs I recognised), yet I thoroughly enjoyed the production.

I found it really interesting to learn about his life, and know of her. Johnny Cash is a household name, as well as some of his songs, yet I had never heard of June. Based on the show, her role in Johnny’s life is extremely significant, from writing one of his most famous songs, to giving him support to address his struggles for himself and his family.

The Ballad of Johnny and June is in the New Theatre until Saturday 14 March. Make sure to get your ticket for this enjoyable and honest performance. Tickets are available by ringing 0343 310 0041 or by clicking here.

Review by Sophie Platt

We received free tickets for this performance in exchange for an honest review