The Ballad of Johnny and June at the Festival Theatre Edinburgh*****

I didn’t know I liked country music… until now.

From the opening bars of a show which charts the lives and music of Johnny Cash and his second wife, June Carter, I was tapping my toes and already fully invested in the two hours of entertainment before me. My enthusiasm never waned.

The story of the king of country music begins the first time Cash and Carter meet in Nashville in the 1950s. Through the eyes of their son John Carter Cash we follow their careers, courtship, companionship and collapse, all of which give new meaning to the lyrics of songs such as I Walk the Line, Jackson, Always on My Mind and, even, I’ve Been Everywhere Man. Not so A Boy Named Sue!

With 36 songs alongside the story there’s a lot to fit in in one show, but co-author (with Robert Cary) Des McNuff’s tight direction presents a fast-paced, well constructed production with every member of the company, including the on-stage band, deserving the highest praise.

Ryan O’Donnell binds the show together as John Carter Cash, playing him with friendly ease, engaging directly with the audience and, eventually, joining his ‘dad’ in some of his most famous songs. 

But the stand-outs are, undeniably, Christopher Ryan Grant and Christina Bianco in the title roles. I’ve just played videos of Cash and Carter and you couldn’t tell them apart from the real thing. Grant has tremendous stage presence as Cash, while Bianco is a little powerhouse of personality. I still remember seeing her in cabaret in Edinburgh about nine years ago, as a comedienne doing impersonations, but in this show she IS June Carter. She is mesmerising.

For Johnny Cash fans this is a real treat, but it’s also a very pleasant surprise for those of us who didn’t think they liked country music!

Image: Pamela Raith

The Ballad of Johnny and June is at the Festival Theatre Edinburgh until May 2.

capitaltheatres.com

It then continues touring:

May 12-16: Wycombe Swan

May 26-30: Southend, Cliffs Pavilion

June 2-6: Newcastle Theatre Royal

June 9-13: Salford, The Lowry

June 16-20: Plymouth, Theatre Royal

June 30-July 4: Bradford, Alhambra Theatre

July 7-11: Richmond Theatre

July 14-18: Hull, New Theatre

July 21-25: Blackpool, Winter Gardens

July 28-Aug 1: York, Grand Opera House

Aug 13-22: Glasgow, Pavilion Theatre

Aug 25-29: Eastbourne, Congress Theatre

Sept 1-5: Canterbury, The Marlowe Theatre

Sept 8-12: Southampton, the Mayflower Theatre

Sept 15-19: Leeds, Grand Theatre