‘Cash fans won’t be disappointed’
The Churchill Theatre Bromley played host to The Ballad of Johnny and June this week — a good reminder that there is great value entertainment to be found outside of London’s West End, writes Katie Kelly.
This show tells the story of Johnny Cash and the intense relationship with his second wife, June Carter. There is clearly a desire to go beyond a simple “jukebox musical”, to quote Christopher Ryan Grant, who is masterful in the role of Johnny Cash. Cash fans — and judging by the number of cowboy boots in the audience, there were plenty of them — won’t have been disappointed. The show packs in 32 songs including the usual suspects: Walk the Line, Ring of Fire, Folsom Prison Blues, and many more. There are also a number of songs from the Carter Family, the country music royalty that Johnny married into.
As the name suggests, the central story is the relationship between Johnny and June, with its often drug-induced highs and lows. It’s an unflinching tale narrated by the character of their son, John Carter Cash. The acting is superb from both lead characters, their emotional range enormous. A highlight of Christopher Ryan Grant’s gut-wrenching portrayal of Cash is the mesmerising quality he brings to Hurt — a song Cash covered towards the end of his life. Particular mention must also go to Christopher Short in the relatively small role of Cash’s brother, who died tragically young. His performance of Ain’t No Grave Gonna Hold My Body Down was vocally beautiful and deeply poignant. In contrast, there is great joy and breathtaking energy in numbers like Jackson and I’ve Been Everywhere.
If the show has a weakness, it is in the slightly earnest endeavour to educate the audience in the history of country music, which in a couple of places felt like a Wikipedia page set to music. That’s a minor gripe, though, because this is a great show which left a toe-tapping audience on their feet for a standing ovation and wanting more.
It was a short run at the Churchill, but if this is typical of the quality of production they put on, it would be worth exploring their programme. The Ballad can still be caught in Brighton, Richmond and further afield.
Booking and full tour details: https://johnnyandjunemusical.com/
