Tomatoes Nearly Killed Me but Banjos Saved My Life is one of those rare shows that manages to be both quietly profound and utterly disarming. It’s heartfelt without ever tipping into sentimentality. After touring the world, Keith Alessi has now performed his 450th show, marking this milestone at the King’s Head Theatre in London—a remarkable achievement for anyone, but especially for a man who, in 2017, was given just twelve months to live after being diagnosed with oesophageal cancer. That he is still here, still performing, and still donating every penny of his artist fees to charities and community groups—now totalling around $1.2 million Canadian dollars—is nothing short of extraordinary.
Keith is currently making his way around the UK, eventually returning to the Edinburgh Festival, where he has enjoyed sellout runs for the past three years. I was particularly excited to take my husband along this time, partly because he’s a reliable barometer; like Keith, he also picked up the banjo later in life. Keith, however, has taken things to a different level entirely: he owns fifty two banjos. Fifty two and somehow still has a wife.
The show itself is essentially a one man performance, save for a brief interlude when his promoter steps in to lend a hand. Over the course of eighty five minutes, Keith weaves together the story of his illness, his recovery, and his unexpected love affair with the banjo. He is the first to admit he’s no expert, but that’s part of the charm. His message is simple and authentic: it’s okay to play, to try, to do your best, even if perfection is never the goal. He treats us to a handful of familiar tunes—including a lovely rendition of Shady Grove—switching between clawhammer and fingerpicking styles, and even swapping instruments midstory, including a banjitar. His enthusiasm for the history of the banjo is infectious; he speaks with genuine affection about its origins, its many genres, and the sheer variety of materials and craftsmanship that make each instrument unique. No two banjos, he insists, will ever sound the same. And, he repeatedly adds with a joke, they are always out of tune.
What keeps the show buoyant is Keith’s humour. He cracks jokes throughout, often at his own expense, and the result is a tone that remains lighthearted rather than melancholic. The King’s Head Theatre, with its relaxed and intimate atmosphere, suits the piece perfectly. At times, you feel as though you’ve been transported to one of the music gatherings he describes in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, where he found a spiritual home among fellow musicians. His determination to keep going—to keep playing, keep learning, keep living—has kept him cancer free for years, defying the prognosis he was once handed.
By the end of the evening, it’s clear why this show works so well: it’s Keith’s real story, told with authenticity, warmth, and a gentle resilience that never asks for sympathy. Instead, it invites connection. We left the theatre with my husband quietly deciding he might just dust off his own banjo and start playing again. And really, what better testament to a performance than that?
Playing various dates in the UK: The Old Fire Station, Oxford on 1st March back at the King’s Head on the 6th March, Meadowfield, Durham on the 8th March and then back in the UK at the end of July and Edinburgh Fringe in August. Check the website for more details.
https://www.tomatoestriedtokillme.com/the-show
Reviewer - Penny Curran
On - 27th February 2026
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