Review: JUNE CARTER CASH : THE WOMAN, HER MUSIC AND ME, Summerhall
June Carter Cash: The Woman, Her Music and Me runs at Summerhall until 24 August
June Carter Cash: The Woman, Her Music and Me is a new play written and performed by Charlene Boyd, directed by Cora Bissett and presented by National Theatre of Scotland and Grid Iron Theatre Company.
It's lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic and Charlene Boyd is a single mother of two living in a high-rise council flat in Glasgow. She's an actor who is currently out of work due to the lockdown, a singer in a Johnny Cash tribute band and she works in a care home. With little else to do in a sparsely decorated flat that doesn't feel like home following a divorce, she picks up a copy of From The Heart by June Carter Cash. A woman whose songs she has spent years singing without knowing much about her.
This play intertwines the story of June and Charlene, worlds apart but so many parallels in their lives. Starting with the history of The Carter Family and how they shaped country music, this play covers June Carter's marriages, divorces and her struggle to stay in the music industry when women were expected to conform to a certain way of life.
One thing that is apparent from the offset is how much love and passion has gone into the writing of this play. As documented in the writing, Charlene travelled to the Appalachian mountains to visit June's home. She went to Nashville to research what the country music industry is like for women today. While June Carter is one of the most recognised women in country music, her story isn't that well known which makes this a gripping watch.
Charlene Boyd, who plays both herself and June, is an exceptional performer. She has the confidence of June at the height of her Grand Ole Opry fame balanced beautifully with the vulnerability of her own story.
The use of the space is wonderful, the venue has been set out with cabaret seating and the tables hold props that punctuate the story and facilitate costume changes. The room transforms from Charlene's flat to The Grand Ole Opry and then a lively honky tonk. Amy Duncan, Harry Ward and Ray Aggs are the musicians for the show and their setup is reminiscent of The Bluebird Cafe.
A captivating watch from start to finish, this production is absolutely joyous- a truly magnificent story of two remarkable women.
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