The Ballad of Johnny and June – Review – Leeds Grand Theatre
By Gail Schuster, September 2026
The Ballad of Johnny and June is another musical which uses the back catalogue of an artist or band to tell the story ‘behind the music’, and that is exactly what this production does. It follows the lives of Johnny Cash and June Carter from their early lives, through their meeting, working together, to their eventual marriage and deaths. However, it is unique in that the story telling is done through a narrator, their son, John Carter Cash.
Ryan O’Donnell’s style of narration is conversational, addressed directly to the audience, but also musical. Throughout the performance, ‘The Ballad of Johnny and June’ which was especially written for the show, is reprised by O’Donnell to move the story along. During the production he stands at the side of the stage telling his parents’ chaotic history until he performs, ‘A Singer of Songs’ when he joins his elderly parents, and they become a family spending their final years together. Cash’s showmanship towards the end of his life is stripped away, and it is an emotional and poignant moment delivered beautifully by O’Donnell.
This is not a show with a large number of named characters, and the two leads Christopher Ryan Grant, as Cash, and Christina Bianco, playing Carter, work hard through start to finish. Both Grant and Bianco are American, which contributes to the authenticity of the accents. Grant is convincing as the charismatic and complex Cash, from the moment he enters the stage and announces, “Hello, I’m Johnny Cash.” His portrayal of the country star captures the volatility of the younger man, the family man and finally the vulnerable older man who dies only four months after his beloved wife. Grant swaggers his way through a medley of Cash’s early hits, ‘Folsom Prison Blues’, ‘Cry, Cry, Cry’ and ‘I Walk the line’, amongst others. Few songs are performed in full to give the impression of the whirlwind of Cash’s rise to fame, aided by the names of the places at which he was singing being displayed at the above the stage.
“Addiction and pressures”
Bianco is perfect as the vivacious June Carter. At the point of their meeting Carter was more successful than Cash, and that confidence oozes from her. I particularly enjoyed Bianco’s portrayal of, ‘No Swallerin’ Place.’ It’s a song about a song which gives the singer no time to take a breath and swallow. It allows June’s early country comedic style to be incorporated into the musical. Bianco sings it looking like she is running out of breath, but with perfect vocal control and amusing facial expressions.
There is a lot of chemistry between the two leads and it brings an authenticity to their partnership, from the problems with addiction and pressures of being in the music business, to the love and affection in which they held each other. Cash is turbulent and reckless, but Carter is feisty as the one person continually trying to keep him from the edge of self-destruction. The different aspects of their bond are displayed particularly in three songs. In ‘Jackson’, the male protagonist is boasting about going to the city to ‘mess around’, but the woman mocks him, deflating his ego. Vocally they are a wonderful match for each other, Grant deep and resonating, Bianco beautifully clear. Their duet on this number reminds the audience that, although Cash may test the limits of their connection, Carter is strong enough to stand up to him.
‘If I Were a Carpenter’, is a gentle, tender ballad which focuses on their relationship without the showmanship of the big venues. It feels like a very intimate number.
The third song used to demonstrate their relationship to the audience is, ‘Ring of Fire’, a phrase found by June Carter in a book of Elizabethan poetry. This was a passionate rendition by both actors. Grant sings like he is struggling with his demons and Bianco’s performance has a raw intensity to it which pulls at the heart strings as she tries to steer him away from his addictions.
A versatile supporting cast of just ten play all the many other people in the main characters’ lives, including previous spouses, family members, musicians and others.
“Intimate moments”
The set, by Robert Brill, is cleverly designed. It has two opening sets of wooden barn doors, which gives a country and western feel to the stage and anchors the production in a rural community. The opening doors also allow the space to be enlarged for large events for example, or reduced for more intimate moments. The furniture is wooden and is moved to represent a car or a living room.
Amanda Zieve’s lighting works well with the set and narrative, transitioning seamlessly between domestic scenes and concerts. It is used to emphasise the mood during the production, at times dark and shadowy, other times warm and welcoming.
Throughout the show musicians, only partially visible at the rear of the set, play live. Perhaps to highlight their contribution, after the actors had taken their final curtain call, the backing band started playing a closing instrumental. Unfortunately, this confused the audience, many of whom had already started leaving, whilst others tried to sit back down but were disturbed by those trying to leave. It didn’t feel like a smooth, natural conclusion to the evening.
This show packs in over 30 numbers, but most of them are not performed in full. However, the work of Johnny Cash, along with his turbulent relationship with June remains at its heart. It is a vibrant take on the ‘behind the music’ genre and an enjoyable evening for music lovers.
The Ballad of Johnny and June is at Leeds Grand Theatre until 19th September
images: Pamela Raith
Gail is a woman with many interests. She loves a bracing walk through the countryside, filling her lungs with air and enjoying the flora and fauna along the way. An animal lover, she has found herself sharing her home with creatures with four, six and eight legs, though some of the ones with a higher number of legs have been introduced by her daughter! A keen theatre goer, Gail once ran the entertainment section of her work’s social club. When she’s not walking or enjoying a performance, you can usually find her in the garden or cooking up something in the kitchen. An enthusiastic home cook who likes to try her hand at new dishes which are mostly appreciated by her husband and daughter, broccoli roulade or cauliflower pizza aside. Able to converse in several languages, Gail eventually found her cosy corner in her adopted Yorkshire.
