Apart from the Police Academy series, Winslow also had a part in Mel Brook's famous Star Wars spoof, Space Balls. Perhaps less widely known is the fact that he also played the evil "Spike" in Gremlins. Having begun his career with stand up, Winslow's popularity sky rocketed when Police Academy became a roaring success.

Born in 1958 on an Airforce base in Washington to Robert and Verdie Winslow, Michael is the youngest of five brothers. His mother Verdie often says that when Michael was a baby he would imitate some of the sounds surrounding the family at the base, such as the jet engine of a passing plane.

According to Winslow, when he was a child he would create imaginary friends, such as dogs and cats or "anything that would keep him occupied for the moment" as growing up at an Air Force base "made it difficult to have friends".

After finishing high school and spending some time in college, Winslow got a gig, his first professional performance, at a club named Tulagi's in Boulder, Colorado. Among the acts that had played the club were Jimi Hendrix, the Doors and Tommy Bolin and Winslow was excited to be on the same stage performing where such legends had played before.

Opening for a group called Nova, Winslow had learned that they were fans of Jimi Hendrix. Using a number of props, including his mothers "afro wig" he borrowed from her closet, he performed Hendrix's Purple Haze. According to Winslow, the applause he received was something he would never forget, and it was that moment that he "knew (he] wanted to be an entertainer."

Packing his bags, Winslow hitchhiked to Venice Beach where he would spend "quite some time homeless" until he got his big chance. Director Hugh Wilson and producer Paul Maslanski came to see his show and were "overwhelmed by (his] performance", apparently, so was he. The pair then wrote Winslow, the part of Jones for Police Academy, which paved the way for the most successful part of his his career.

Playing Saturday 26 at 9pm, tickets for Michael Winslow are n25, and are available from Top Twenty in Naas, or from the Dew Drop itself. Also playing on the night are "Credence Clearwater Recovered", a tribute to the famous band, performing such hits as "Bad Moon Rising" and "Born on the Bayou" the night promises to begin with hilarity and end with great music.