The Ballad of Johnny and June – The Johnny Cash Musical

The Man in Black was a sensational country musician with a very dark side to his successful life.

Iconic American singer, song writer and guitarist Johnny Cash was famous for his deep bass-baritone voice, train-like guitar rhythms and themes of sorrow and redemption during his long career which ended when he died in 2003.

But his nickname revealed a sadder and deeper layer to the complicated man who had many dramas on and off the stage.

Now, The Ballad of Johnny and June is paying homage to the great man and the musical is on a UK tour, currently stopping off at the Pavilion Theatre in Glasgow.

Outstanding is Christopher Ryan Grant who plays Cash with raw energy and an equally impressive singing voice and is equalled by his co-star Christina Bianco, who is top drawer in her role of June.

The story is narrated by the couple’s son, John Carter Cash, played on the first night by Lenny Turner and takes the audience through the trials and tribulations of how his parents got together.

Both Johnny and June have big baggage when they meet on stage and fall in love. June is the more famous face on the country music scene with her family’s links going back years and she’s known for her great sense of humour.

With previous marriages and children between them, the couple also have to deal with Johnny’s addiction to pills and his tendency to smash up hotel rooms, which leads to June have a problem with substance abuse and John Carter Cash trying to get her into the same rehab Johnny has been in a number of times.

It’s the music though which sells the show, with fabulous renditions of “Ring of Fire”, “Walk the Line”, “Wildwood Flower” and “Folsom Prison Blues” among the tunes which the audience clearly loved and happily sung along to.

The show is jumping and the supporting cast, Celyn Cartwright, Abigail Matthews, Peter Peverley, Christopher Short, Chomba S Taulo, Anne-Marie Wojna, Denis Grindel, Mia Jae and Michael Mahony are superb in their roles, with band conductor Connagh Tonkinson, drums, Zach Okonkwo, bass guitarist, Jihea Oh, electric guitarist, Nick Hill, acoustic guitar, Benedict Wood and trumpet, Morgan Rees, adding to the joy or what is a first class performance.

The Ballad of Johnny and June is on at the Pavilion Theatre, Glasgow until 22^nd August with tickets available from www.trafalgartickets.com. The show then moves to the Congress Theatre, Eastbourne from 25^th to 29^th August; The Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury from 1^st to 5^th September; the Mayflower Theatre, Southampton from 8^th to 12^th September and the Grand Theatre, Leeds from 15^th to 19^th September 2026. For more information, please visit: www.johnnyandjunemusical.com.

Author Bio:

Rebecca Hay is an experienced travel writer and member of The British Guild of Travel Writers. Follow her adventures with her family on Twitter and Instagram @emojiadventurer and on Facebook via EmojiAdventurers2.

Photographs by Pamela Raith