REVIEW: The Ballad of Johnny and June at Newcastle Theatre Royal

The Ballad of Johnny and June

Newcastle Theatre Royal

Until Saturday 6 June 2026

The story of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash is one that has long captured the imagination, and this brand-new musical, currently on UK tour and visiting Newcastle Theatre Royal this week, makes a strong case for why their story deserves a stage of its own. With Olivier and Tony Award-winning director Des McAnuff at the helm, the production carries considerable theatrical pedigree, and the result is a show that combines the story with some well executed music that will please the fans.

The narrative is framed in an intriguing way, told through the eyes of John Carter Cash, the couple's son. This perspective gives the story an intimacy that a more conventional biographical approach might have struggled to achieve. We follow Johnny and June through the turbulence of their professional lives and personal struggles, as well as the slow-burning romance that would eventually define both of them. The writing does not shy away from some of the the harder edges of their story, including the battles with addiction and the complications that came with loving someone as complicated as Johnny Cash. It is a story of two people who were, in many ways, each other's salvation, and the show handles that with care and without sentiment.

The two central performances carry the production with real conviction. Christopher Ryan Grant, known to musical theatre audiences from Million Dollar Quartet, brings a physicality and brooding intensity to Johnny Cash that feels lived-in rather than impersonated. He has a natural authority on stage and handles the emotional complexity of the role with confidence. 

Alongside him, Christina Bianco brings warmth, wit and considerable vocal ability to June Carter Cash. Bianco, whose credits include Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and The Wizard of Oz, finds the steel beneath June's charm with notable skill. The interplay between the two leads that gives the show some emotional weight, though at times their relationship comes across as performative. 

Ryan O'Donnell backs up the six piece band on his acoustic guitar, as well as narrating the show as their son John. The supporting company of ten, including Tyneside's very own Pete Peverley, holds up their end of the bargain throughout, ensuring the world around the two leads feels populated and genuine.

The music is, of course, central to everything here, and the show does not disappoint on that front. The songbook is substantial, drawing on decades of material from two of country music's most enduring figures. From I Walk the Line and Ring of Fire through to Sunday Morning Coming Down and Hurt, the selections cover a great deal of ground emotionally and stylistically, and the full band on stage gives each number a live energy that a recorded score could never replicate. The harmonies between Grant and Bianco are well-matched, and there are moments, particularly in the duets, where the music does what no amount of dialogue could. For those familiar with the Cash catalogue, there is the pleasure of recognition; for those coming to the music fresh, there is simply a great deal to enjoy. The music is, indeed, one of the highlights of the show.

The Ballad of Johnny and June is a production that respects its subjects without treating them as untouchable icons. It finds the human story inside the legend, and it tells that story with skill, heart and a great deal of very good music. As the narration keeps saying, don't let the truth get in the way of a good story and this production is as much about spending an evening listening to great songs rather than getting hung up on the accuracy, or timescale, of events. The story is inoffensive to the subject matter , yet there are hints of darker stuff, but ultimately, this is a musical that will probably fade away in the coming years. Newcastle audiences have a short window to catch it before the tour moves on.

Review: Stephen Oliver

Photos: Pamela Raith

Tickets: https://www.theatreroyal.co.uk/whats-on/the-ballad-of-johnny-june/