Leeds Grand Theatre – until Saturday 19th September 2026
Reviewed by Adam Craddock
4****
Last night I had the privilege of being invited down to the always wonderful Leeds Grand Theatre to review the latest leg of the UK & Ireland tour of “The Ballad of Johnny & June”, a new musical from the director of Jersey Boys.
The show follows the infamous “Man in Black” Mr Johnny Cash throughout his life from the loss of his brother as a young boy to his struggles with addictions as an international star. We also see the ways his life crosses over with his future wife June Carter from his earliest of musical experiences. The play is narrated by their son together John Carter Cash and he walks us through the story, with tales from both individuals involved and then also guiding us back to somewhere near the truth.
Christopher Ryan Grant wows in the starring role as the legendary man in black. Grant has a sublime aura around his portrayal, he just oozes cool and charisma and by god does he sound just like the legend himself! His southern drawl is just perfect and if you closed your eyes I swear you could believe Johnny Cash was there himself! Christina Bianco co stars as June Carter Cash. Bianco plays a brilliantly bubbly June, with some great comedic moments but also really holding her own in some of the more serious scenes. Ryan O’Donnell finishes off the named roles as their son together, John Carter Cash. O’Donnell was great in this guiding role, allowing the action to pass him by whilst always being switched on and engaged whilst watching. The way he portrayed young John in particular I really enjoyed, especially with the use of the ghostly spotlight to physically portray the child. The wider cast were all absolutely fabulous as well, with a strong ensemble definitely being a major win for this production.
In terms of productions aspects it was a mixed bag for me. I love the set, with a real industrial feel to it with its metallic and wooden lines and levels. The use of the chairs and benches throughout was also effective. The lighting and video effects were all strong and crisp, but most importantly appropriate to the show. The sound however was an issue for me. There were multiple times throughout this performance where mics would drop out mid line, not turn on until someone was half way through their first line or just completely miss instruments being played on stage, especially in the song “Jackson”. Whilst this didn’t ruin the show by any means it did keep dragging me away from the immersion in a disappointing manner.
Overall I would highly recommend seeing The Ballad of Johnny and June. This show is a brilliant one to experience especially with someone you love, and I for one can’t wait to see it again!