Tomatoes Tried to Kill Me but Banjos Saved My Life

Tomatoes Tried to Kill Me but Banjos Saved My Life tells the story of Keith Alessi surviving cancer and finding meaning through playing the banjo. It is a warm story about friendship, togetherness, doing what you love and acceptance, with a splattering of musicology along the way.

There is an interesting story at the centre of it, and the staging works well enough to keep the piece moving. Alessi is an engaging storyteller, and there is something rather appealing about the straightforwardness of the whole thing.

The music is the weaker part. Given how central the banjo is to the story, I would have liked a little more richness in the music overall. Alessi is open about being an intermediate player, and that honesty is part of the charm, but it also means the musical side never quite matches the strength of the story being told.

An okay show, with a nice story and a little more music depth needed.

Runs 6–17 August, 19–24 August and 26–31 August at 11:40am.