SOUTHEND THEATRE SCENE
  • Home
    • About
    • Contact
    • Main feature writer - Kim Tobin
    • Photographer - Kim Tobin Photography
  • LATEST
  • Reviews
  • YOUTUBE

Picture
La Jolla Playhouse, world-premiere, The Ballad of Johnny and June; photo by Rich Soublet II.
Trafalgar Theatre Productions, the Dodgers, Tommy Mottola and TEG Dainty present


The electrifying new musical celebrating 
Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash
Their music. Their love. Their story. 

CHRISTOPHER RYAN GRANT AND CHRISTINA BIANCO
STAR AS JOHNNY CASH & JUNE CARTER CASH IN

THE BALLAD OF JOHNNY & JUNE
25th-30th May 2026
​Cliffs Pavilion, Southend


MAJOR UK AND IRELAND TOUR: 
MARCH – SEPTEMBER 2026

TICKETS ON SALE 7 NOVEMBER AT 10.00AM
FROM JohnnyAndJuneMusical.com
Picture
Casting is today announced for the major new musical of The Ballad of Johnny & June. Christopher Ryan Grant (The Iceman Cometh, Million Dollar Quartet) brings his acclaimed performance, direct from sell out seasons at La Jolla Playhouse, California and Canada’s acclaimed Citadel Theater as Johnny Cash in the UK & Ireland tour which opens at Bromley’s Churchill Theatre on 2 March.  Two-time Drama Desk Award nominee, Christina Bianco (Forbidden Broadway, The Wizard of Oz) stars as June Carter Cash. Tickets are on sale now from JohnnyAndJuneMusical.com.

Told through the eyes of their son - songwriter and musician John Carter Cash, who helped create this official production - the acclaimed hit new musical shows why Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash remain one of the most iconic couples in music history, packed with a soundtrack of beloved hits — I Walk the Line, Ring of Fire, Hey Porter, Jackson, I’ve Been Everywhere, Wildwood Flower and many more.

Christopher Ryan Grant originated the role of Johnny Cash in the La Jolla Playhouse production of The Ballad of Johnny & June in 2024. His acting credits include The Iceman Cometh, Thanksgiving Play, and Million Dollar Quartet.

Musical theatre star Christiana Bianco made her West End debut in Forbidden Broadway and was most recently seen as Glinda in acclaimed musical The Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium. She has also gained international acclaim with her ‘diva’ impersonation videos racking up over 25 million views.

The Ballad of Johnny & June is directed by two-time Tony Award winner Des McAnuff (Jersey Boys, The Who’s Tommy, and Summer: The Donna Summer Musical), this major new musical opens at Bromley's Churchill Theatre on 2 March 2026, before visiting a further 20 theatres across the country.

Love is a burning thing, and no one burned brighter than Johnny Cash and June Carter. He was a small-town musician and storyteller with a voice that stirred the soul. She was a multi-talented performer and a music pioneer. Johnny Cash sold more than 90 million records worldwide, won 13 Grammy Awards and a lifetime achievement award in 1999. June Carter Cash won five Grammy Awards across her illustrious career. The pair married in 1968 and remained together until June’s death in 2003.
 
The Ballad of Johnny & June transports you through the soaring highs and shattering lows of a love story that defined an era. Told through the eyes of their son John Carter Cash, this new musical shows why Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash remain one of the most iconic couples in music history.


The Ballad of Johnny & June is presented by Trafalgar Theatre Productions, the Dodgers, Tommy Mottola and TEG Dainty, in cooperation with the John R. Cash and June Carter Cash Trusts.

Hot on the heels of sold-out seasons at New York’s La Jolla Playhouse and Canada’s Citadel Theatre, the acclaimed hit new musical The Ballad of Johnny & June will make its dazzling debut this side of the Atlantic in 2026 with a major tour of the UK and Ireland. 

Packed with all the legendary hits of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash including I Walk the Line, Ring of Fire, Hey Porter, Jackson, I’ve Been Everywhere The Ballad of Johnny & June is directed by two-time Tony Award winner Des McAnuff (Jersey Boys, The Who’s Tommy, and Summer: The Donna Summer Musical), this major new musical opens at Bromley's Churchill Theatre on 2 March 2026, before visiting a further 20 theatres across the country.

Love is a burning thing, and no one burned brighter than Johnny Cash and June Carter. He was a small-town musician and storyteller with a voice that stirred the soul. She was a multi-talented performer and a music pioneer. Johnny Cash sold more than 90 million records worldwide, won 13 Grammy Awards and a lifetime achievement award in 1999. June Carter Cash won five Grammy Awards across her illustrious career. The pair married in 1968 and remained together until June’s death in 2003.
 
The Ballad of Johnny & June transports you through the soaring highs and shattering lows of a love story that defined an era. Told through the eyes of their son John Carter Cash, this new musical shows why Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash remain one of the most infamous couples of the 20th Century.

Producer Howard Panter said: “We are delighted to be bringing this acclaimed production of The Ballad of Johnny and June to theatres in the UK and Ireland for a major tour in 2026. A journey through love, struggle and redemption told through some of the greatest music ever written and brought to life by an exceptional creative team. We can’t wait for audiences to experience this extraordinary story that captures the passion and power of two true musical icons.”
Picture
THE BALLAD OF JOHNNY & JUNE - UK & IRELAND TOUR DATES 2026


2 – 7 March 
Bromley, Churchill Theatre

9 – 14 March 
Cardiff, New Theatre

30 March – 11 April 
Dublin, Bord Gais Energy Theatre

13 – 18 April 
Brighton, Theatre Royal

20 – 25 April 
Birmingham, Alexandra Theatre

27 April – 2 May 
Edinburgh Festival 

11 – 16 May 
Wycombe Swan

25 – 30 May 
Southend, Cliffs Pavilion

1 – 6 June 
Newcastle, Theatre Royal

8 – 13 June 
Salford, The Lowry

15 – 20 June 
Plymouth, Theatre Royal

29 June – 4 July 
Bradford, Alhambra Theatre

6 – 11 July 
Richmond Theatre

13 – 18 July 
Hull, New Theatre

20 – 25 July 
Blackpool, Winter Gardens

27 July – 1 August 
York, Grand Opera House

3 – 8 August 
Belfast, Grand Opera House

10 – 22 August 
Glasgow, Pavilion Theatre

24 – 29 August 
Eastbourne, Congress Theatre

31 August – 5 September 
Canterbury, Marlowe Theatre

7 – 12 September 
Southampton, Mayflower Theatre

14 – 19 September 
Leeds, Grand Theatre

Home

Reviews

Music

Interviews

Copyright © 2015
  • Home
    • About
    • Contact
    • Main feature writer - Kim Tobin
    • Photographer - Kim Tobin Photography
  • LATEST
  • Reviews
  • YOUTUBE