THE BALLAD OF JOHNNY & JUNE
Photographs: Pamela Raith
Country singers throughout music history seen to be regularly afforded legend status. Pop, rock, folk artists seem to become stars, one or two become legends, an early death usually a factor, but country musicians, well country music is populated by legendary figures. And after last night’s performance of The Ballad Of Johnny & June it seems clear why. Legend status comes with not only musical prowess but the ability to deal with adversity, drink, drugs maybe and certainly sex, marriage and infidelity.
All those factors play a major role in the lives of Johnny Cash and June Carter and as such it makes a great story, and one that has been often told, but perhaps not as well as this. It would be very easy to spin a yarn peppered with great songs about this troubled couple, but to deliver their story with a combination of great musicianship and integrity is a different matter. Here we get that wonderful music but it merely illuminates the story of two flawed lovers and their struggle with not only substance abuse but the pressures of success.
Director and co-writer Des McAnuff and creative partner Robert Cary have skilfully created an evening of theatre that, whilst satisfying the need to hear those iconic songs, also puts flesh on those stories. To make it work of course those songs need to be delivered by a first class company, both band and actors. This is done assuredly, the songs ring true, and for the most part are placed within the tale with relevance, not always but often progressing the narrative appropriately.
The entire company is razor sharp, the quality of singing, especially the tight harmonies, is first class… and it needs to be.
At the heart of the piece we have both Cash and Carter and to make this stage biography work they have to be believable. There was little doubt that the incredible vocal talent that is Christina Bianco could pull this off. Anyone who has seen her live as Liza Minelli, watched her nail the role of Evie in Little Voice or just followed her on YouTube will be aware that her talent for vocal impersonation is astonishing. She also has the skill as an actor to deliver in equal part comedy and sadness. She is quite simply perfect in the role.
Johnny Cash as a performer is no doubt more familiar to the world, achieving chart success globally and an image as the man in black that remains iconic. No easy task for any actor to pull off but here we have Christopher Ryan Grant simply infesting the role with such intensity and power that he is utterly believable. Cash was no doubt a flawed character, full of anger, arrogance and ambition and we get it all, warts and all as they say. But who knew that this American star of both film, TV and stage could deliver such a beautiful deep and resonant vocal performance? He brings to the part genuine magic, sings so well, not just an impression but a heartfelt performance, and, when tragedy hits, how many stage performers produce genuine tears. I found his whole rendering of Cash very moving.
Finally and far from least we have our narrator, Ryan O’Donnell who as the son of the ill fated couple John Carter Cash, leads us through their lives. It is a beautiful and skilfully played role, nuanced, amusing, delicate in parts and fierce in others, both excellently written and delivered and the final piece in the jigsaw puzzle of this story.
If you were not a country fan before seeing this show there is no doubt you might come away one, wanting to hear more and learn more. And perhaps also come away understanding why country stars become legendary, whether they succumb to or survive their demons.
Andrew Kay
14 April
Theatre Royal Brighton
Rating:
