A new play chronicling the life of PUP politician David Ervine will open with a 12 day run at the Lyric Theatre before going on tour around Northern Ireland.
The one-man show, starring Paul Garrett and written by Bobby Niblock, is titled The Man Who Swallowed a Dictionary, a play on how some people described the former UVF man.
Directed by Matthew McElhinney and produced by Martin Lynch, the play follows the life of Mr Ervine from his early days in east Belfast, his imprisonment for possession of bomb-making equipment in the 1970s through his later political career.
Mr Ervine died in 2007 aged 53 while still serving as a Northern Ireland Assembly member for east Belfast.
At the launch announcing the opening of the play at the Dark Horse in Belfast on Thursday, his widow Jeanette unveiled a portrait of her last husband painted by their son Mark.
Writer Bobby Niblock served time with Mr Ervine following the former's conviction for murder in the 1970s.
Greenshoot Productions and the Lyric said the show "chronicles the remarkable life of Ervine, from the backstreets of east Belfast to Long Kesh prisoner to political negotiations at the White House and Downing Street".
The producers added: "From his personal family tragedies to becoming the man who is widely regarded as the man who did most to deliver the Protestant working class to support the Good Friday Agreement.
"As well as being an important figure in the history of Ulster loyalism, Ervine was also known for his grasp of the English language and capacity for using 'big words' in television interviews, hence the title of the play.
"It's a remarkable story, providing a great insight into not just the man but the Protestant community in the most turbulent period of the Troubles."
