La Jolla Playhouse, world-premiere, The Ballad of Johnny and June; photo by Rich Soublet II.
REVIEW
✭✭✭✭☆ 4/5
THE BALLAD OF JOHNNY & JUNE
25th-30th May 2026
Cliffs Pavilion, Southend
✭✭✭✭☆ 4/5
THE BALLAD OF JOHNNY & JUNE
25th-30th May 2026
Cliffs Pavilion, Southend
Following one of the hottest days of the year it was a relief to get to sit in the coolness of the air conditioned Cliffs Pavilion auditorium for the opening night of The Ballad of Johnny & June stopping off at Southend in the middle of a six month tour of the UK and Ireland following an acclaimed season at California’s La Jolla Playhouse as well as the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton, Alberta.
The story of the iconic couple is played out in this new musical which has been the brainchild of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash’s son, John Carter Cash; with the narrative of the musical is drawn from his perspective and, even before he was conceived, the story of his parents' initial meeting is revisited with the point of view firstly from Cash’s viewpoint and then later on, from June's; a reminder of how stories can easily become embellished according to the storyteller. It is a pivotal moment and played to effect in the Hollywood film, I Walk the Line, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon but essentially this stripped back theatrical version of events, attempts to give the story a feeling of realism and truth; highlighting the fact that after all was said and done, Cash saw himself as “just a singer of songs”.
The narrative for The Ballad of Johnny & June delivers a simple timeline of events leading towards each dramatic turn throughout the show, which feels a bit like a history lesson, rather than a gripping rollercoaster of events but it is boulstered by a brilliant musical score played out superbly by a multi-talented cast and band led by Christopher Ryan Grant as Johnny Cash and Christina Bianco who plays June.
Individually they both deliver in abundance and have captured every mannerism and movement of the pair perfectly. Ryan Grant in particular has embodied every physicality possessed by Cash and truly delivers visually and vocally in spectacular style. Bianco never disappoints whatever she does and playing June is no exception; as she grabs the role with full force and takes you along for the ride with her colourful, witty yet gritty, journey of her life with Cash as she gradually reins him in.
The show begins with the band playing Ghost Riders in the Sky on stage at the opening and they sound amazing. Every one of the cast are singing and playing instruments throughout the show as they constantly switch characters to portray various family and band members as Cash works his way up in the country music industry, interestingly at a time when June and the Carter family band were seriously way more famous than Cash.
Act 1 of this show does feel a little laboured, but Act 2 has a bit more pace with a whole host of musical numbers to be sung - in fact there’s barely a moment when there’s not a song to be sung with Ring of Fire, A Boy Named Sue, Folsom Prison Blues, Gone Girl, Hey Porter and of course, Jackson, amongst the many, many more which are brilliantly performed by the cast and ensemble. Hurt is truly heartfelt sung by Ryan Grant, as is Ain’t No Grave Gonna Hold My Body Down, a poignant moment in the musical.
If you’re a Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash fan, then you certainly won’t be disappointed with the content of songs that fill the evening. The musicianship is top notch, however, with a storyline so jam packed with facts and information, the real heart and emotion feels a little lost within such a gutsy tale. That said, there are certainly some impactful moments. June's battle with Johnny to give up drinking and drugs shows how much he loved and admired her - though she be but little, she is fierce!
The fact that Johnny and June went through pressures that lots of other couples go through, despite theirs being more of a public affair than most, will resonate for many. Maybe it's because their story is one of love and persistence through the dramas; and perhaps, if you're looking for it, that is the moral of the story. As John Carter Cash reveals, “the most important thing my parents ever taught me is persistance. In the face of struggle and hardship you continue on.” And they certainly did.
Review: Kim Tobin
The story of the iconic couple is played out in this new musical which has been the brainchild of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash’s son, John Carter Cash; with the narrative of the musical is drawn from his perspective and, even before he was conceived, the story of his parents' initial meeting is revisited with the point of view firstly from Cash’s viewpoint and then later on, from June's; a reminder of how stories can easily become embellished according to the storyteller. It is a pivotal moment and played to effect in the Hollywood film, I Walk the Line, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon but essentially this stripped back theatrical version of events, attempts to give the story a feeling of realism and truth; highlighting the fact that after all was said and done, Cash saw himself as “just a singer of songs”.
The narrative for The Ballad of Johnny & June delivers a simple timeline of events leading towards each dramatic turn throughout the show, which feels a bit like a history lesson, rather than a gripping rollercoaster of events but it is boulstered by a brilliant musical score played out superbly by a multi-talented cast and band led by Christopher Ryan Grant as Johnny Cash and Christina Bianco who plays June.
Individually they both deliver in abundance and have captured every mannerism and movement of the pair perfectly. Ryan Grant in particular has embodied every physicality possessed by Cash and truly delivers visually and vocally in spectacular style. Bianco never disappoints whatever she does and playing June is no exception; as she grabs the role with full force and takes you along for the ride with her colourful, witty yet gritty, journey of her life with Cash as she gradually reins him in.
The show begins with the band playing Ghost Riders in the Sky on stage at the opening and they sound amazing. Every one of the cast are singing and playing instruments throughout the show as they constantly switch characters to portray various family and band members as Cash works his way up in the country music industry, interestingly at a time when June and the Carter family band were seriously way more famous than Cash.
Act 1 of this show does feel a little laboured, but Act 2 has a bit more pace with a whole host of musical numbers to be sung - in fact there’s barely a moment when there’s not a song to be sung with Ring of Fire, A Boy Named Sue, Folsom Prison Blues, Gone Girl, Hey Porter and of course, Jackson, amongst the many, many more which are brilliantly performed by the cast and ensemble. Hurt is truly heartfelt sung by Ryan Grant, as is Ain’t No Grave Gonna Hold My Body Down, a poignant moment in the musical.
If you’re a Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash fan, then you certainly won’t be disappointed with the content of songs that fill the evening. The musicianship is top notch, however, with a storyline so jam packed with facts and information, the real heart and emotion feels a little lost within such a gutsy tale. That said, there are certainly some impactful moments. June's battle with Johnny to give up drinking and drugs shows how much he loved and admired her - though she be but little, she is fierce!
The fact that Johnny and June went through pressures that lots of other couples go through, despite theirs being more of a public affair than most, will resonate for many. Maybe it's because their story is one of love and persistence through the dramas; and perhaps, if you're looking for it, that is the moral of the story. As John Carter Cash reveals, “the most important thing my parents ever taught me is persistance. In the face of struggle and hardship you continue on.” And they certainly did.
Review: Kim Tobin
INTERVIEW WITH JOHN CARTER CASH
“Everybody always asks me what’s the most important thing my parents ever taught me,” says John Carter Cash. And his answer is… “Persistence! In the face of struggle and hardship you continue on. My dad stuck with it, he kept making music. My mother June did too.”
The parents he speaks of are of course Johnny Cash and his wife June Carter Cash, both American icons and legends of country music. Their 35-year marriage as well as their huge musical legacy is explored and celebrated in the stage musical The Ballad of Johnny & June, which arrives in the UK and Ireland for a six-month tour (from 2 March) following acclaimed seasons at California’s La Jolla Playhouse and the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton, Alberta.
The show packs a plentiful supply of Cash’s best-known songs, including I Walk the Line, A Boy Named Sue, Folsom Prison Blues, Hey Porter and Ring of Fire (which was written by June and Merle Kilgore). Jackson was a famous Johnny and June duet, while Wildwood Flower is a traditional song that harks back to June’s history with her parents and siblings in the Carter Family band, who were a huge influence in the development of folk, bluegrass and country music. The iconic songs, and Johnny and June’s famous love story, are brought to life on stage by the talented cast led by musical theatre stars Christopher Ryan Grant as Johnny and Christina Bianco as June.
“For a long time I’ve wanted to see the right musical made, something that wasn’t just recounting the same information that everyone’s seen before,” reflects John (now 55). “It’s like characters are often portrayed in a two-dimensional way, but I wanted to show the more complicated parts of my parents’ nature. I wanted to portray the truth and beauty of the simple people that they were and the love they shared.”
The parents he speaks of are of course Johnny Cash and his wife June Carter Cash, both American icons and legends of country music. Their 35-year marriage as well as their huge musical legacy is explored and celebrated in the stage musical The Ballad of Johnny & June, which arrives in the UK and Ireland for a six-month tour (from 2 March) following acclaimed seasons at California’s La Jolla Playhouse and the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton, Alberta.
The show packs a plentiful supply of Cash’s best-known songs, including I Walk the Line, A Boy Named Sue, Folsom Prison Blues, Hey Porter and Ring of Fire (which was written by June and Merle Kilgore). Jackson was a famous Johnny and June duet, while Wildwood Flower is a traditional song that harks back to June’s history with her parents and siblings in the Carter Family band, who were a huge influence in the development of folk, bluegrass and country music. The iconic songs, and Johnny and June’s famous love story, are brought to life on stage by the talented cast led by musical theatre stars Christopher Ryan Grant as Johnny and Christina Bianco as June.
“For a long time I’ve wanted to see the right musical made, something that wasn’t just recounting the same information that everyone’s seen before,” reflects John (now 55). “It’s like characters are often portrayed in a two-dimensional way, but I wanted to show the more complicated parts of my parents’ nature. I wanted to portray the truth and beauty of the simple people that they were and the love they shared.”
He’d been contemplating this project for a decade when the stars finally aligned and he met producer, director and writer Des McAnuff, whose glittering career includes such fabled musical productions as The Who’s Tommy, Jersey Boys, the Temptations story Ain’t Too Proud and Summer: The Donna Summer Musical. What especially recommended him to Cash was his work on Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, with music and lyrics by Roger “King of the Road” Miller. “I knew he was the right person, because it was my father’s favourite play, and I just felt it was the right choice.”
And so it proved. “It really is something I believe in,” Cash asserts, of the finished product. “I think the song choice is neat because the hits are there, but there are also songs that really tell the full arc of my parents’ lives. I think it’s a wonderful production.”
John’s own contributions to the show have been invaluable, bringing vital insights and emotional truths to a story which, as Johnny and June’s only child, he is uniquely familiar with. He impressed McAnuff in the way he wanted to convey some tough reality, rather than airbrushed fantasy. “We realised that he didn’t want the fairytale, he wanted the truth,” McAnuff told the Los Angeles Times. “The truth is so much more interesting than the fairytale.”
The script for the musical was written by McAnuff and Robert Cary, based on a string of in-depth conversations with John.
He recalls: “I sat down with Des and Robert for numerous hours where they dug deep into my life and my memories, and really looked into my experiences. It wasn’t like any other creative process that I’ve ever done. And then they would go ‘right’, and we’d come back and do it again, until they said ‘we want your character to tell the story’. They’d heard me relate the story to them so many times that they felt that the man who plays me should be the guide for the entire musical.”
Thus the John Carter Cash character (played by Ryan O’Donnell) breaks the fourth wall with the audience, acting as narrator and singing the theme tune, newly written for the show by the musical director.
“Most of the things you see are tied in with my personal memories, and the way the characters speak is straight out of my mouth,” adds Cash. “So in essence I did write a lot of them, it’s just editing it in the right way.”
And so it proved. “It really is something I believe in,” Cash asserts, of the finished product. “I think the song choice is neat because the hits are there, but there are also songs that really tell the full arc of my parents’ lives. I think it’s a wonderful production.”
John’s own contributions to the show have been invaluable, bringing vital insights and emotional truths to a story which, as Johnny and June’s only child, he is uniquely familiar with. He impressed McAnuff in the way he wanted to convey some tough reality, rather than airbrushed fantasy. “We realised that he didn’t want the fairytale, he wanted the truth,” McAnuff told the Los Angeles Times. “The truth is so much more interesting than the fairytale.”
The script for the musical was written by McAnuff and Robert Cary, based on a string of in-depth conversations with John.
He recalls: “I sat down with Des and Robert for numerous hours where they dug deep into my life and my memories, and really looked into my experiences. It wasn’t like any other creative process that I’ve ever done. And then they would go ‘right’, and we’d come back and do it again, until they said ‘we want your character to tell the story’. They’d heard me relate the story to them so many times that they felt that the man who plays me should be the guide for the entire musical.”
Thus the John Carter Cash character (played by Ryan O’Donnell) breaks the fourth wall with the audience, acting as narrator and singing the theme tune, newly written for the show by the musical director.
“Most of the things you see are tied in with my personal memories, and the way the characters speak is straight out of my mouth,” adds Cash. “So in essence I did write a lot of them, it’s just editing it in the right way.”
Following in the parental footsteps, John has been a musician and songwriter (he’s released three solo albums), and still remembers how his father introduced him to Bob Dylan’s music when he was 12 years old.
“He bought me cassettes of the first three Bob Dylan albums, and I sat in my room at their apartment in New York City and listened to them all the way through. That was when it was just Bob with his harmonica and guitar. My dad said ‘don’t listen to that rock’n’roll stuff that Bob did later, listen to the early ones’.”
Later, he became prolific as a record producer. As well as working with a string of prestigious artists including Sheryl Crow, Loretta Lynn, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson, he produced his mother’s albums Press On and Wildwood Flower, and worked on four of the albums which his father released on Rick Rubin’s American label.
“Rick Rubin would be there for some of the sessions, and in some he wouldn’t be. In those instances I was sort of acting as producer for my father. That was when I was really beginning in the industry. I’d never produced before when I started working with my dad and my mother in the studio, and that’s really where I learned how to make music, working with them.”
After his parents had died, within a few months of each other in 2003, he took a conscious decision to embrace his experiences of being a part of the Carter-Cash dynasty, rather than pursuing a separate career which would take him away from the family legacy. A first step was his writing a biography of June, Anchored in Love: An Intimate Portrait of June Carter Cash (2007).
“It was the first book I ever wrote,” he recalls. “I really opened up about my mother’s life and my family’s life. It’s where my philosophy about what to present and how to present it began, although of course there are lots of things I’d never tell.”
Something he did choose to do was face up to the realities of how both his parents suffered from debilitating addictions. June had problems with amphetamines and painkillers, while Johnny battled addictions to alcohol, amphetamines and barbiturates. But during their lifetimes both of them were willing to discuss their problems, believing that their example could help people in their audience struggling with similar issues.
Getting to grips with his family history has been a huge undertaking for John, and he describes it as “an ongoing catharsis. If I had a master’s or a doctorate in something, it would be Johnny Cash and the Carter family. I’ve studied it my whole life.”
Much of what he has learned has found its way onto the stage, and he’s keen to stress that despite the enormous presence of Johnny, the Man in Black, it’s not a one-man show.
“This musical is as much about my mom as it as about my dad. It shows my mother’s strengths. It shows where she faltered. But it shows the beauty that they had in their love and their relationship.”
The Ballad of Johnny & June – The Johnny Cash musical tours the UK & Ireland 2 March – 19 September. Tickets / venues: JohnnyAndJuneMusical.com
“He bought me cassettes of the first three Bob Dylan albums, and I sat in my room at their apartment in New York City and listened to them all the way through. That was when it was just Bob with his harmonica and guitar. My dad said ‘don’t listen to that rock’n’roll stuff that Bob did later, listen to the early ones’.”
Later, he became prolific as a record producer. As well as working with a string of prestigious artists including Sheryl Crow, Loretta Lynn, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson, he produced his mother’s albums Press On and Wildwood Flower, and worked on four of the albums which his father released on Rick Rubin’s American label.
“Rick Rubin would be there for some of the sessions, and in some he wouldn’t be. In those instances I was sort of acting as producer for my father. That was when I was really beginning in the industry. I’d never produced before when I started working with my dad and my mother in the studio, and that’s really where I learned how to make music, working with them.”
After his parents had died, within a few months of each other in 2003, he took a conscious decision to embrace his experiences of being a part of the Carter-Cash dynasty, rather than pursuing a separate career which would take him away from the family legacy. A first step was his writing a biography of June, Anchored in Love: An Intimate Portrait of June Carter Cash (2007).
“It was the first book I ever wrote,” he recalls. “I really opened up about my mother’s life and my family’s life. It’s where my philosophy about what to present and how to present it began, although of course there are lots of things I’d never tell.”
Something he did choose to do was face up to the realities of how both his parents suffered from debilitating addictions. June had problems with amphetamines and painkillers, while Johnny battled addictions to alcohol, amphetamines and barbiturates. But during their lifetimes both of them were willing to discuss their problems, believing that their example could help people in their audience struggling with similar issues.
Getting to grips with his family history has been a huge undertaking for John, and he describes it as “an ongoing catharsis. If I had a master’s or a doctorate in something, it would be Johnny Cash and the Carter family. I’ve studied it my whole life.”
Much of what he has learned has found its way onto the stage, and he’s keen to stress that despite the enormous presence of Johnny, the Man in Black, it’s not a one-man show.
“This musical is as much about my mom as it as about my dad. It shows my mother’s strengths. It shows where she faltered. But it shows the beauty that they had in their love and their relationship.”
The Ballad of Johnny & June – The Johnny Cash musical tours the UK & Ireland 2 March – 19 September. Tickets / venues: JohnnyAndJuneMusical.com
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.
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.”
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.”
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
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