Family making debut at Edinburgh Fringe

A family with strong ties to the Carrickfergus and Islandmagee areas will be making their debut at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival next month.
Twin brothers Tom and Hugh Adams will perform as Brothers Broke during the Fringe Festival.Twin brothers Tom and Hugh Adams will perform as Brothers Broke during the Fringe Festival.
Twin brothers Tom and Hugh Adams will perform as Brothers Broke during the Fringe Festival.

Tom and Hugh Adams, originally from Sunnylands, will be performing an acoustic set as duo Brothers Broke.

They will also be accompanying Tom’s wife Tess during a separate poetry performance as part of the annual event.

The couple lived in the Brown’s Bay area before moving to Surrey.

Tess Adams.Tess Adams.
Tess Adams.

The Adams brothers, meanwhile honed their musical skills in local band Blue Monday in the late 1970s.

Their Fringe Festival set ‘When Judas met John’ presents a musical journey alternating between Bob Dylan and John Lennon.

The 40-minute show features the like-minded lyrics of both artists, covering themes of love and jealousy; social attitudes; creativity; and revolution of the mind.

Featuring Tom on guitar/vocals, and twin brother Hugh on bass/harmonica/vocals, the duo offer their unique interpretation of Lennon and Dylan tracks.

Meanwhile, Tess’s ‘Words is Words is Words’ is a tender, engaging and entirely unique performance about brokenness and hope.

Fusing autobiographical vignette, poetry and music, Tess demonstrates how tragic loss can be transformed into meaning. She said: “My daughter died and I nearly joined her. I sought some counselling and realised how powerful this can be so I trained to be a psychotherapist. I believe her death shoved me onto a more deeply fulfilling pathway.

“Then, my sister was ill in Hammersmith Hospital in 2010 and I was studying for my Masters in fiction writing at Roehampton Uni - about ten miles away. I wanted to abandon my studies to accommodate visiting hours but my sister insisted I did not, so I spoke to my programme leader who was also head of poetry.

"He suggested I swap to the poetry module because it took place in the mornings and I could spend the rest of the day with my sis. I told him I knew nothing about poetry and wasn’t particularly interested either. He looked at me and said ‘You look like a poet’. I swapped to poetry!

“My sister died in January 2010 and my grief spilled onto my page - the words literally grew wings and flew out of me.

"I think often there’s a gift wrapped up in tragedy if we look for it.”

Both shows will be taking place from August 13-18.

Words is Words is Words will start at 2:10pm daily; tickets are £6 / concessions £5. When Judas Met John will run from 7:40pm; tickets are £9 / concessions £7.

For more information contact the Fringe box office on 0131 226 0000 or visit www.edfringe.com