June Carter Cash: The Woman, Her Music and Me
Written and performed by Charlene Boyd
Directed by Cora Bissett
Dissection Room, Summerhall, Edinburgh
6 August 2024 (World Premier)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Charlene Boyd performed in a Johnny Cash tribute band as June Carter for over 14 years before she decided to write a musical about the country legend. I can see why Charlene was so captivated by June: she wrote and sang with Johnny, hung out with Elvis and performed at the Grand Ole Opry.
When Charlene's performing work slowed during the pandemic she found time to research June's life further and found that they had much in common. Both were working performer mums, divorced and struggling to juggle all of life's demands. Charlene even took a life-changing trip to June's family home in the Appalachian mountains and there, with the help of June's friends and family, she came to the realisation that writing about June was impossible without also writing about herself.
And so the biographical jukebox musical about June instead became a deeply personal and unique play with music about June and Charlene: June Carter Cash: The Woman, Her Music and Me.
Not only is the concept for this play unique but the staging in the Dissection Room at Summerhall is also something new and exciting. The room is laid out cafe-style with large round tables all facing a small stage that houses the musicians. A large neon 'June' sign is the focal point above the stage and beautiful, ever-changing light bulbs hang from the balcony and sweep across the ceiling. The room is strewn with bits and bobs from both June and Charlene's lives. Like the best kind of glittery, country and western boot sale, I could've spent hours just browsing through the props.
The cabaret style layout of the room allows Charlene to weave among the tables and the audience, pulling the crowd into her story and making us feel oh so involved. Grid Iron Theatre Company specialise in site specific and location theatre and they've excelled themselves here by transforming the already curious space at Summerhall into a colourful, sultry, playground for June and Charlene to roam. It's so much more interesting than a conventional theatre environment and has been designed and with obvious love and great care.
The book is punctuated with humour, the storytelling moves at pace and the short 70 minute run-time flies by. There are some sobering and eye-opening facts about the music industry, and although this production is Not A Musical, music is of course integral to the story. Performed by an excellent trio of musicians and accented by Charlene herself, the soundtrack for this play includes some of the greatest country hits you could hope for: 'Jackson', Dolly Parton's 'My Tennessee Mountain Home' and Cash's classics 'I Walk the Line' and 'Ring of Fire' all have their place in the show.
Only Charlene Boyd could've written this story and it's Charlene herself that makes it so special. Clearly passionate about not just June but all things music, Boyd is a sensation. Switching from June's saccharin-sweet persona back to her Glaswegian reality where her children loudly demand their tea, her day to day life could not be further from the glamour of the Grand Ole Opry stage. With another music legend in the Director's chair, Cora Bissett, together they've created a bright, inventive, inspiring love-letter to resilient women everywhere.
Run to Summerhall to see Charlene and June in their intimate, gig-theatre home this Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🪩 June Carter Cash: The Woman, Her Music and Me plays at Summerhall as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe until 24th August 2024 and then tours across Scotland.
Jump to Tour listings | Cast info
🪩 June Carter Cash: The Woman, Her Music and Me is presented by National Theatre of Scotland and Grid Iron Theatre Company. It is part of the Made in Scotland showcase.
📸 production photos: Sally Jubb
📃 To receive all my latest reviews to your inbox subscribe to my mailing list here
June Carter Cash: The Woman, Her Music and Me - Cast and Creatives
Written and performed by Charlene Boyd
Directed by Cora Bissett
Music performed by Harry Ward, Ray Aggs and Amy Duncan
Set and Costume Design Shona Reppe
MD, Composer and Sound Designer Pippa Murphy
Lighting Designer Elle Taylor
Movement Director Laura Fisher
June Carter Cash: The Woman, Her Music and Me 2024 - tour dates
Edinburgh Festival Fringe venue and dates
Dissection Room, Summerhall
from 02 to 24 August, 4:00pm
Performance time: Doors and bar open at 4:00pm, performance begins at 4:20pm
Touring Scotland from Wednesday 28 August to Sunday 22 September 2024
Barn, Banchory (Wed 28 Aug)
Òran Mór, Glasgow (Fri 30 Aug-Sun 1 Sep)
British Legion, Dunfermline - Outwith Festival (Tue 3 Sep)
Cochran Hall, Kirkcudbright - Kirkcudbright Fringe (Thu 5 Sep)
Millenium Centre, Stranraer in association with Dumfries & Galloway Arts Festival (Sat 7 Sep)
Brodick Hall, Arran in association with Arran Theatre and Arts Trust (Wed 11 Sep)
The Rockfield Centre, Oban (Fri 13 & Sat 14 Sep)
Ullapool Village Hall in association with the Ceilidh Place (Tue 17 & Wed 18 Sep)
Forres Town Hall, Forres - Findhorn Bay Festival (Sat 21 & Sun 22 Sep)
June Carter Cash: The Woman, Her Music and Me review, National Theatre of Scotland, NTS, Grid Iron Theatre Company, premier, Summerhall, Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2024, Charlene Boyd, Cora Bissett.
📸 Find Lisa in the Theatre on Instagram and Twitter / X
🎟️ Disclosure: I am an Edinburgh Festival Fringe accredited media reviewer and as such I receive complimentary press tickets in exchange for my honest reviews. My reviews and star ratings are always my honest opinions.
Comentarios