Even if you didn't go to the Alhambra Studio recently, you may have seen the publicity for Parv Bancil's comic cautionary tale about dreams of stardom - Bollywood or Bust...Innit!

It was performed by the same team that packed out the Studio Theatre with Arrange That Marriage, which included a guest appearance by Indian superstar Saeed Jaffrey. Well, as The Goons used to say, there's more where that came from.

On May 14, The Seven Deadly Sins - Lust, will play for one night. Billed as a mixture of stand-up comedy, sketches, improvisation and music, on the theme of lust, it follows the kind of format made popular by the Goodness Gracious Me ensemble, first on Radio 4, and then on BBC2.

Yet more Asian wit, wickedness and tastelessness - I am quoting from the Press blurb - arrives on June 11, when The Big Picture Company presents a revue called All Things Asian (and Not!).

The Alhambra has wanted to attract Asian audiences for some time, although the means to do it was not at all clear. The answer seems to be comedy, and not only that but music, drama and the occasional art exhibition too.

The Bollywood or Bust shows recently, for example, were preceded by a showing of paintings by Suzie Hinchcliffe and heather Leach, Bushra Sultana and Sarah Jeffs.

So who's behind this initiative? The answer is Leeds-based Detrimental Promotions - basically Inder Goldfinger and his partner Q.

Inder is better known as a musician. He was founder member and percussionist with the highly rated Bradford Asian Hip-Hop band Fun-Da-Mental. He has worked with artists all over the world. When I met him he said he had just come back from Japan and had co-written a single with Ian Brown of The Stone Roses.

"Why should our shows go on just at the Pakistani Centre?" Inder said. "Why should Asians think that's the place for them and that the Alhambra is the place where white people go?

"As you establish yourself as an artist you get recognition for what you do. Some artists just go on their way; but we want to reflect what we have achieved back into the community. Sounds b...... but that's our belief. Q has the business head: I'm an airhead, I play music for a living."

Q is content to listen while Inder does the quick-fire talking. I have to interrupt to bring him back to the subject of the interview.

"What we started to do was put on a show at the Think Tank, formerly the Caf Mex, in Leeds. We developed a good rapport with the community. I have done a fair amount in the arts, dance and music, so it was fairly easy to do. I have got the links with people through the arts and Q has got the business.

"We put on Arrange that Marriage at the Alhambra and it was a big success. We got Saaed Jaffrey here, gave him the space to promote his book, and he joined in on stage. But we got him up here from London," Inder said.

Jim Greenhalf

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.