“If I’ve gotten a taste for it, and I really hope I have, I’d like to continue with new theater projects,” Fabio De Luigi said, adding that a busy year lies ahead, Il Resto del Carlino reported. Twenty years after his tour of “Il bar sotto il mare,” the comedian and actor from Santarcangelo di Romagna is back on stage with an updated version of that 1999 show, now titled “Biol – In Carne e Ossa.”
The tour has sold out at every stop, and Rimini — the theater in his own backyard — is no exception. De Luigi takes the stage at the Teatro Galli from Thursday evening through Saturday, Il Resto del Carlino reported.
The nickname from his baseball days that never went away
Old friends and former teammates from his time as a Serie A baseball player still call him “Biol,” the nickname given to the Santarcangelo native who made everyone laugh with his jokes and impressions, Il Resto del Carlino reported. For those who knew De Luigi before he became one of Italy’s best-known comedy actors, he has remained Biol. The name also became the title of one of his first theater shows.
From the diamond to one-man shows
De Luigi’s path to the stage ran through sport: he played baseball at the Serie A level before turning to comedy, and the discipline of performing in front of teammates carried over into his act. The new production, written with his longtime friend and collaborator Paolo Cananzi, blends monologues, stories and moments of pure improvisation in a true one-man show, Il Resto del Carlino reported.
The show also revives some of the characters that made De Luigi a household name on Italian television during the “Mai dire gol” era with the Gialappa’s Band, including the singer Olmo.
Rimini’s homecoming run at the Teatro Galli
The tour began in October and has been a sellout everywhere it has played.
Future plans include comedian festival
De Luigi said he would not wait another 20 years for his next tour. Among the projects he has in mind is a festival for comedians — something like the one that launched him when he was starting out, Il Resto del Carlino reported.
FAQ
Why do Fabio De Luigi’s former teammates call him “Biol”? The nickname stuck from his days as a Serie A baseball player in Santarcangelo, where he entertained teammates with jokes and impressions, Il Resto del Carlino reported. It later became the title of one of his first theater shows.
When is the Rimini run of the show? De Luigi performs at the Teatro Galli in Rimini from Thursday evening through Saturday, and the engagement is sold out, Il Resto del Carlino reported.
What is the show about? “Biol – In Carne e Ossa” is an updated version of his 1999 show “Il bar sotto il mare,” written with Paolo Cananzi, mixing monologues, stories and improvisation, with characters from his “Mai dire gol” television days, including the singer Olmo.
De Luigi said he would not wait another 20 years, and that he hopes to continue in theater with new projects, including a possible festival for comedians, Il Resto del Carlino reported.
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