Press Contact: Natalie Thomas
December 2025
Casting has been 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 in March 2026. Two-time Drama Desk Award nominee, Christina Bianco (Forbidden Broadway, The Wizard of Oz) stars as June Carter Cash. The show comes to Theatre Royal Plymouth (TRP) 16 – 20 June 2026. Tickets are on sale now.
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.
Tickets for the run at TRP can be bought here: https://theatreroyal.com/whats-on/johnny-and-june/#book