Tomatoes
tried to Kill me
But Banjos Saved My Life

An Award Winning, Inspirational True Story
Keith Alessi playing a banjo

Accolades

Awards

Sold Out Run
Edinburgh Fringe
Pick of the Fringe
Mervyn Stutter's Pick
Edinburgh
Winner
Fringe Encore Series
New York City

Reviews & Press

British Theatre Review - Edinburgh Fringe
British Theatre Review - Edinburgh Fringe
August 16, 2023

Paul T Davies reviews Tomatoes Tried to Kill Me But Banjos Saved My Life at Space @ Surgeon’s Hall as part of the Edinburgh Fringe.

Three Weeks Edinburgh Review
Three Weeks Edinburgh Review
August 8, 2023

I missed this show in 2022 and was keen to catch it early this year. Now an established international success, it’s a fine piece of American storytelling....

The Munro Review - Rogue Festival 2022
The Munro Review - Rogue Festival 2022
March 11, 2022

A banjo, the lean and kindly man tells us, draws a line to the past – back to circles of players whiling away pre-electric evenings in the Blue Ridge Mountains, back to the vestigial sound of bagpipes urging Scotsmen across a battlefield, back even to primeval times, with people sitting around campfires and vocalizing with grunts and hums.

Audience Feedback

Thoughtful, touching biography. Being an expat Canadian living in NYC, having grown up at a similar time too, I was personally engaged yet the material was not only touching and graciously presented, the performance was poignant. Everyone in the audience felt it; there was a subtle unifying connection. It was uplifting and inexplicable definitely in the mix, making it a lasting contentment of shared experience.

Loved the show... I laughed... I cried... I walked away with good lessons...

Very touching. Good performance.