It's showtime again for the deli frontman

Published on Thursday 3 July 2008 10:37

PLENTY of people, some perhaps with a penchant for pasta and parma ham, insist that the entire Festival thing, the Fringe thing, in Edinburgh doesn't really get under way, isn't taken seriously, until the curtain goes up in Elm Row on the Valvona & Crolla shindig.

A shorter shindig this year. Again it's Philip Contini's enterprise and he's had a good old hack at his programme. Only 50 shows, against 90 last year.

Smacks of cut-backs at a time when cut-backs are all the rage but he tells me no and, gullible to a fault, I take every Scots-Italian at his word.

"We won't have any shows mornings and afternoons, leaving us with evenings and lunchtime slots. We're not featuring theatre events because we'll be preparing, psyching ourselves up, for a major project in the autumn. For now call it a mum's-the-word project.

"This is the 16th year of our own Fringe shows, doing our own independent thing. The programme's grown year on year and I'm at the stage and age now where not being embroiled in it all would, if I can be a tad melodramatic, break my heart."

Feel free, Phil, this column can use all the melodrama it can get. From August 3 to 25 the redoubtable Elm Row deli will accommodate six different music shows . . . Louis de Bernieres with readings from his latest book, A Partisan's Daughter . . . a Rabbie-tinged A Kiss Is Still a Kiss featuring Gill Bowman and Ronnie Ireland . . . accordionist Dave Vernon and clarinettist Dick Lee playing French "hot" jazz . . . fairly "serious" Romantic Guitar from Luca Villani . . . and, no show without the maestro, Un Amore Cosi Grande, with star vocalist Contini fronting a six-piece band in a new mix of "Italian love songs, stories and laughter."

Contini adds: "I thought of reviving Al Martino but that's been put on hold, apparently Al's still busy at Godfather weddings. Next year's looking good, with Mike Maran working on a tribute to American jazz trumpet legend Chet Baker and a tenth anniversary celebration of the first Captain Corelli hit.

"Oh and I almost forgot . . . at our 'satellite' Vin Caffe in Multrees Walk we're doing three repeat performances on August 10, 17 and 24 of the Louis Prima tribute that sold out last year."

I left Mr V & V muttering conspiratorially about that major project. Mamma Mia's was still the word. To book for the aforementioned shows call 556 7800 or at the shop.