REVIEW - The Ballad of Johnny & June at The Lowry - A Country Music Theatre Trip with Dad
A Night At The Theatre With My Dad To See The Ballad of Johnny & June
On Tuesday 9th June, I headed to The Lowry with my dad for the press night of The Ballad of Johnny & June at The Lowry.
My mum dropped us off opposite the Imperial War Museum North before we made the short walk across the bridge towards The Lowry. We arrived at around 7pm ahead of the 7:30pm performance, giving us plenty of time to collect our tickets and have a look around before the show started.
As always, one of the first things I did after arriving was head over to the press desk to collect our tickets and programme before taking a look at the merchandise stand.
Country Music Souvenirs & Theatre Merchandise 🎶
There was a small selection of merchandise available, including:
👕 T-Shirt – £28
🧲 Magnet – £5
🖊️ Pen – £8
🔑 Keychain – £10
📍 Pin Set – £12
☕ Mug – £14
👜 Tote Bag – £16
I ended up purchasing a magnet before we headed into the auditorium.
Our Seats & View at The Lowry 🎭
We were seated in the stalls, entering through Door H. Our seats were Row P Seats 12 and 13, with Seat 12 being the aisle seat.
The view was excellent and completely unobstructed throughout the performance. We could clearly see everything happening on stage and I never felt too far away from the action. The seats were comfortable and I would happily choose these seats again for a future visit.
Once seated, I had a quick look through the programme while waiting for the show to begin.
The first act lasted approximately 75 minutes before a 20-minute interval. The second act was around 55 minutes, bringing the total runtime to roughly 2 hours 30 minutes including the interval. The performance finished shortly before 10pm.
The Story Behind the Songs 🎸
Going into the show, I only really knew Ring of Fire and knew very little about Johnny Cash's life story. My dad, however, grew up listening to Johnny Cash and was much more familiar with both Johnny Cash and June Carter's music.
The production tells the story of Johnny Cash's rise to fame, his relationship with June Carter and the challenges they faced throughout their lives and careers.
Narrated by their son John Carter Cash, the show combines live music and storytelling to take audiences through the highs and lows of one of country music's most famous relationships.
What I liked most was that the production never felt like simply a tribute concert. While the music is obviously a huge part of the evening, there is also a genuine attempt to explore the people behind the songs.
I did find the first act quite fast-paced and it took me a little while to fully settle into the story. A lot of information is packed into the opening half of the show and some of the emotional moments pass by quite quickly.
The second act felt much stronger for me and allowed more time for the emotional side of the story to develop.
One thing I found particularly interesting was experiencing the show alongside someone who already knew so much of the music. While I was discovering much of Johnny and June's story for the first time, my dad was recognising songs, references and moments from their lives throughout the evening. It made for some interesting conversations during the interval and on the journey home.
Live Music, Country Classics & Strong Performances 🎤
The music was undoubtedly the highlight of the evening.
Featuring songs including Ring of Fire, Jackson, I Walk the Line and Folsom Prison Blues, there were plenty of familiar songs that received enthusiastic reactions from the audience.
One of my favourite moments came during Ring of Fire. You could hear audience members quietly singing along around the theatre, including my dad sitting next to me, and when the song finished it received one of the biggest rounds of applause of the evening.
It was one of those lovely theatre moments where you could really feel the audience's connection to the music. Even though I didn't know many of the songs beforehand, it was impossible not to get caught up in the atmosphere.
The set design was relatively simple but worked well throughout, using projections and different staging areas to move between locations and different periods in Johnny and June's lives.
Christopher Ryan Grant was excellent as Johnny Cash, capturing both the voice and stage presence associated with Cash without ever feeling like he was simply doing an impression.
Christina Bianco was equally impressive as June Carter, bringing warmth, humour and charisma to the role while delivering some fantastic vocals.
The chemistry between the two leads felt completely believable and helped carry the emotional side of the story.
Final Thoughts on The Ballad of Johnny & June at The Lowry 🤠
Overall, I enjoyed The Ballad of Johnny & June at The Lowry and so did my dad, despite us going into the show with very different levels of familiarity with the music.
While the first act felt a little rushed at times, the strong performances, live music and emotional second half made for an enjoyable evening at the theatre.
I personally gave the show 3.5 stars, while my dad would probably have rated it slightly higher, which perhaps shows how well the production works for existing Johnny Cash fans.
Whether you're already a fan of Johnny Cash or simply recognise a handful of his songs like I did, there is still plenty to enjoy here.
Looking back, I think one of the things I'll remember most is sharing the experience with my dad. It isn't often that we go to the theatre together, and this felt like the perfect show for us to enjoy from two completely different perspectives.
A country music love story that may not always walk the line perfectly, but still delivers an entertaining night at the theatre.
Planning Your Visit to The Ballad of Johnny & June 📍
The Ballad of Johnny & June is at The Lowry until Saturday 13th June 2026.
Tickets are available to purchase through The Lowry website.
For more information about the production, including future tour dates and show information, visit the official The Ballad of Johnny & June website.
If you'd like to read my more theatre-focused review, you can also head over to All About Theatre.
🎥 Watch Our Visit in Weekly Vlog #457
If you’d like to see what I got up to during my trip to see The Ballad Of Johnny & June you can watch it in Weekly Vlog #457. Our trip to the show begins at 01:08 in the video, although the vlog also includes some other family moments from our week.
At a Glance
📍 Venue: The Lowry, Salford
📅 Running Until: Saturday 13th June 2026
⏱️ Runtime: Approx. 2 hours 30 minutes including interval
☕ Interval: 20 minutes
👤 Age Guidance: 12+
🎟️ Tickets From: £26 available to purchase through The Lowry website.
🎭 Genre: Musical Biography / Country Music
🎶 Features Songs Including: Ring of Fire, Jackson, I Walk the Line and Folsom Prison Blues
♿ Accessible Performances: Audio Described, BSL Interpreted and Touch Tours available on selected performances
🛍️ Merchandise Available: T-Shirts, Tote Bags, Mugs, Magnets, Pins, Keychains and Programmes
🚋 Getting There: The Lowry is located at Salford Quays and is easily accessible by tram, bus and car
🌍 Further Tour Dates: Visit the official The Ballad of Johnny & June website for future tour dates
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