HAIL to The King, baby – Sam Raimi's classic horror series The Evil Dead meets classic snake-hipped rock and roll head on in Rob Kemp's acclaimed live show The Elvis Dead, which arrives in Belfast tonight courtesy of the Belfast Film Festival.
This madman has turned slapstick-tastic sequel Evil Dead 2 into a live musical/comedy experience, acting out its blood-splattered, book of the dead unleashed demon-slaying antics while adapting your favourite Elvis hits to suit the occasion: Viva Las Vegas becomes Read From The Pages, while Always On My Mind is transformed into Always On My Arm's ode to chainsaw dismemberment.
"They say 'write what you know'," explains Mr Kemp who, as far as I can tell, has sadly missed the opportunity to crowbar the evergreen ballad Are You Lonesome Deadite? into the mix.
"I know about horror movies and Elvis Presley... and so here we are."
You might sneer at such a seemingly incongruous combination, but if the awards and glowing reviews the show has gathered since debuting at last year's Leicester Comedy Festival are to believed, The Elvis Dead will turn that frown upside down quicker than you can say "work shed".
Find out for yourself this evening by assembling at The Black Box at 8pm as it's transformed into an Elvis-enhanced version of your favourite ghoul-infested cabin in the woods.
Groovy.
:: Tickets £8 via Belfastfilmfestival.org
