REVIEW: The Ballad of Johnny & June

By Gary Murray, volunteer theatre reviewer

Johnny Cash was an American icon.

One of the greatest country singers of all time, he was a man of contradictions. A conservative, he could empathise with the poor, the oppressed, with prisoners and with Native Americans.

But, addicted to amphetamines, Cash was surely headed out of the door where artists pass too early. Where Brian Jones, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix had gone before.

But Johnny married June.

June Carter was part of the Carter family, one of the most important American music acts of all time. June always said that she didn’t save Johnny, but she most certainly did.

The story is told in The Ballad of Johnny & June, at the Congress Theatre this week starring Christopher Ryan Grant as Johnny Cash and Christina Bianco as June Carter Cash.

This is no straightforward fairytale. We see the early days at Sun records when Cash was struggling to be heard. We see the touring days when the band were driving all night to the next gig, Johnny taking pills to help him stay awake. We see Johnny’s first marriage disintegrating under the weight of his new life – back home for a few days but itching to get back on the road. And we see the anguish of first wife Vivian, left holding it all together at home and knowing that she was losing him.

But Johnny married June.

It was no easy life with this complex man. Cash got straight, then relapsed in the 1980s. It was a struggle sometimes and this show doesn’t shy away from that: sin and redemption, sin and redemption. But they were together for the rest of their lives. 

The set is the kind of homely barn that has always been used by Grand Ole Opry, the longest-running US radio show and the showcase of country music. It serves the action well. At times we hear songs as though part of a show broadcast to us, or to an imaginary audience upstage.

Christopher Ryan Grant is uncannily like Johnny Cash. If you closed your eyes you could easily think you were listening to the real thing. Similarly with Christina Bianco: she manages to convey toughness and vulnerability at the same time.

They are supported by an excellent cast. It’s narrated archly by son John Carter Cash (a consultant on the show) played by Ryan O’Donnell who often talks directly to us in the audience.

This production has pedigree. It’s directed by co-author Des McAnuff who directed Jersey Boys.

Not just for Johnny Cash fans, this is a quality show with quality performances and quality live music.

The Ballad of Johnny & June has real heart and real integrity – you’ll come out uplifted.

:: The show runs until Saturday, 29 August, at the Congress Theatre. Tickets here.

:: Gary Murray was a professional actor for 14 years in theatre, radio, TV and even a couple of operas. After many years on the tech side of ticketing, he now works at non-profit Tech Resort sharing digital skills and is a volunteer reviewer for Eastbourne Reporter