'This isn't another jukebox musical': Ryan O'Donnell on why new Johnny Cash show in swaps nostalgia for 'grit'

"This isn't just another jukebox musical - it’s an ode to their relationship told with a real bit of grit."

That is how West Yorkshire actor Ryan O'Donnell describes The Ballad of Johnny & June, the acclaimed production heading to the Leeds Grand Theatre that swaps generic concert nostalgia for a candid look at country music royalty.

Told from the unique perspective of their son, John Carter Cash, the biographical play strips away the glossy Hollywood sheen to explore the complex, volatile, and deeply loving bond between Johnny Cash and June Carter.

Director Des McAnuff and writer Rob Carey spent a week conducting intensive personal interviews with John Carter Cash to build the script directly from his childhood memories, creating a narrative far removed from standard jukebox biopics.

"People come to see the show expecting a concert performance with a bit of text or jokes in between, and then they’re very surprised when it’s a proper play," says Ryan. "By the second half, we’ve won them over.

“When we perform the songs, we’re performing them as if Johnny is at an actual concert - very rarely are we drawing the song out of the story just for the sake of it."

The production uses innovative staging to give audiences a glimpse behind the curtain of 1960s touring life.

In one key scene, two characters converse backstage while Johnny performs facing what appears to be the back of the stage, allowing the theatre audience to view the concert from the band's vantage point.

Alongside that aspect, there is a striking intimacy between Ryan and the audience in every performance.

In his role as narrator John Carter Cash, he speaks directly to the crowd, tailoring his delivery to the energy of the room each night.

"I have a lot of interaction with the audience - some of it’s scripted, and some of it goes very slightly off-script," Ryan laughs. "Every single night it's different.”

“Sometimes there’s laughter, sometimes people are on their feet singing along, and other times people are crying because Johnny Cash was such a massive part of their parents' lives."

So how does Ryan know if he’s engaged the audience at that particular production?

"I can normally tell how well we've won them over by the top of Act Two when I deliver one specific line,” he reveals. “If it gets a big laugh, that means they were listening in the first half of the show.

“If it doesn’t, it means I wasn’t working hard enough!"

Parallels of life on the road

For Halifax-born O'Donnell - who spent five years living on a tour bus while on the road with legendary rock band Jethro Tull - the show's raw portrayal of touring life hits particularly close to home.

"When I was a single guy living on a tour bus, it was great fun because you didn’t have a family back home," says Ryan. "But now I have a wife and a child; it’s tough. It’s real tough being on the road, and you savour those brief moments you get to spend together."

"Johnny was on tour a lot younger, when he was in his twenties, but he had a wife and three girls at the time. You really feel those pains of being away from your partner and trying to navigate that life."

That shared reality creates a poignant bridge between O'Donnell's own life and the story unfolding on stage each night - one that he believes will strike a chord with West Yorkshire audiences.

Having previously performed at the Grand Theatre in hit productions of Sunny Afternoon and Quadrophenia, the actor -and confessed Leeds United fan - knows local theatregoers will hold the show to a high standard.

"In Leeds, I always find the attitude is very much: 'Come on then, what have you got? Let’s have a see,'" Ryan laughs. "You have to earn their appreciation, whereas in places like Glasgow or Belfast, people are ready to party from minute one. But West Yorkshire audiences really lock into the story once you win them over."

"This show ticks all the boxes whether you're a musical theatre fan, a Johnny Cash lover, or a country music fan. You are guaranteed to feel something."

The Ballad of Johnny and June plays at Leeds Grand Theatre from September 15 - 19. Tickets are available now through the Leeds Heritage Theatre website and box office.