The Ballad of Johnny and June – The Lowry

Johnny Cash and June Carter were independently successful within the country music scene in the fifties and sixties.  Having met in the fifties when both were married to other people, the connection was forged and they toured together before their affair started and they eventually married each other at the end of the sixties.  Their son John Carter Cash was born in 1970.

The Ballad of Johnny and June takes a mostly biographical look back at the early years of their relationship from the perspective of their son.  From their first meeting backstage at a concert they were both performing at, through Johnny becoming sucessful to them getting together and then marriage and the birth of John.  From that point onwards the show then jumps years at a time to strategic events in their later lives.  Both June and Johnny died in 2003, with him passing just four months after his wife.

Director and co-author Des McAnuff along with his co-writer Robert Cary have worked hard to create a show which honours the story of Johnny Cash and June Carter but with enough leeway to give it a more cohesive plot.  Staged similarly to McAnuff’s Jersey Boys in many ways, the exchanges between breaking and enforcing the fourth wall are smoothly transitioned.  This is due partly to the excellent writing, partly to the clever staging and heavily reliant on the narration of John Carter Cash.

Ryan O’Donnell as John is stunning in the role.  Spending much of his time seated to one side of the stage, he talks to the audience to guide them through the story but also voices multiple unseen characters and in the second half interacts with his parents.  A talented singer, guitarist and actor he is charismatic without taking over the stage. 

American actor Christopher Ryan Grant works hard to portray the troubled Cash, making his decline into drugs and alcohol effective while still performing his songs.  He has a great voice and ably recreates Cash’s distinctive bass-baritone.  He is more than matched by Christina Bianco as June, her small stature belies her powerful voice, and she holds the southern US accent throughout her singing. 

An ensemble of six: Christopher Short, Chomba S. Taulo, Peter Peverley, Abigail Matthews, Anne-Marie Wojna and Celyn Cartwright create the multitude of other roles between them.  From the families, through spouses, band and TV production staff, they swap characters from moment to moment with skill.  All of them are also excellent singers with notable performances from both Christopher Short and Abigail Matthews.

The seemingly cluttered set by Designer Robert Brill is effective and changes location through moving flats and movable furniture.  A special mention must be made of the amazing band under Musical Director Connagh Tonkinson, although the balance between band and singers was a little uneven at times.

The Ballad of Johnny and June is overall an excellent show, well written, well performed and ultimately enjoyable.  Cash was one of the music greats despite his demons and this show honours him and June with style.  Well worth seeing.

Reviewer: Helen Jones

Reviewed: 9th June 2026

North West End UK Rating: