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The internationally lauded one-man show is about the fight to thrive in the face of seemingly unbeatable odds
Image by Lauren Hamm
What are your “forbidden foods?” I bet you know that one friend who’s definitely lactose intolerant, but risks it all for a quick round on the cheese board. But what about when the stakes get too high? Tomatoes Tried To Kill Me But Banjos Saved My Life is the one-man show of ex-CEO and college professor Keith Alessi and how, only two weeks after quitting his job, he was given the most shocking news. It turned out that heartburn caused by the innocuous tomato had caused a rare form of cancer.
So that’s the first half of the title explained – but what about the second? That’s where his reasons for leaving behind a life of suits and leather briefcases come into play… Alessi loved banjos but never learnt to play a note. With a 50% chance of surviving the year, he decided that there really was no time like the present to pursue his dreams.
After successful runs across the US and the Edinburgh Fringe, this internationally lauded one-man show, part TED-style talk, part banjo recital, is the true story of not just one man’s survival, but his fight for the right to thrive in the face of seemingly unbeatable odds.
