2010 Edinburgh Fringe

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Mike Keat, the creative force behind cult phenomenon The Cuban Brothers, returns to his hometown's annual festival with no front and no facade. This will be the first time to see the king of character in the first person as he delves into his life, his memory and his wardrobe. This hotly anticipated debut solo show will be a highly improvised hour of character, song, dance, and will also feature Mike's Uncle Archie Easton, fellow Cuban and wrong-man, as Mike sheds light on the host of characters who have made him famous.

Edinburgh born and raised, Mike fast became known as the class clown when he adopted various characters to entertain his class-mates. As an adolescent, Mike and his family moved to New Zealand for the second time where Mike's characters helped cement school friendships and secured DJ slots at clubs he was clearly too young to be in. By 18, Mike had moved to Spain via Edinburgh where, on observing a local character in his hotel, the renowned persona of Miguel, Cuban Brother numero 1, was born. Back to Scotland and Mike was a fully fledged promoter and DJ, but his grandfather soon whisked him from the underground vibe to the mainstream light when he forced Mike to take a job as entertainment manager at Pontins in Blackpool. Here Mike learnt his trade, working with old greats such as Ken Dodd and Mick Miller, and shortly Barry Peters, Mike's misguided 80's DJ, was created (watch out for Barry's film - released later this year)

It wasn't until Mike's return to Edinburgh that the Cuban Brothers were brought to life. Beginning in Edinburgh's Cellar Bar No 1 as a weekly show, they were soon offered a slot at the Gilded Balloon as part of the 1999 Fringe Festival - and then there was no stopping them. A move to London and they were performing several gigs a week. The hype alone won them gigs most artists could only dream of - performances for Elton John, Robbie Williams, David Hasselhoff, George Michael, Arnold Schwarzenegger - they couldn't keep Madonna away. An MTV show ensued, and Mike hosted the 2003 movie Gumball 3000, narrating alongside Hollywood legend Burt Reynolds. Mike has also recently appeared on BBC2's urban music show No Hats No Trainers and Sky One's Pineapple Dance Studio.

The Cubans are no stranger to festivals either. Involved in the first ever Bestival, one of the leading and most prominent UK festivals, the Cubans became the official hosts of the festival. They have since supported everyone from Fat Boy Slim in Glastonbury to James Brown and Chuck Berry in Australia. Their album 'The CB's Yo Bonita' is released in September.