By public demand, Rob Kemp resurrected his cult classic The Elvis Dead for a one-off special in Edinburgh — announced with barely two days’ notice, yet somehow packing the room with a mix of die-hard fans and the curious dragged along by their partners. It’s Fringe legend at this point: a mash-up of Elvis Presley songs performed live in sync with Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead II, the King of Rock ’n’ Roll meeting the king of chainsaw-limbed horror.

Simply put, the show is as ridiculous as it sounds — and that’s exactly why it works. This one-man tour de force has Kemp belting out the Elvis back catalogue with uncanny gusto, repurposing Suspicious Minds, Devil in Disguise, and Burning Love into a horror soundtrack that dovetails seamlessly with Bruce Campbell’s gory slapstick on screen. The timing is razor sharp, the energy relentless, and the sheer absurdity of Elvis crooning while eyeballs pop and demons shriek is comedy gold.

It’s easy to forget how technically tricky this is — Kemp is effectively duetting with a cult film, live, in real time, and taking a physical hammering in the process. Yet he makes it look effortless, never losing the humour, throwing in asides and sly glances that keep the crowd right there with him.

The Elvis Dead was the show that made Kemp’s name, and tonight’s performance feels like both a victory lap and a reminder of just how inspired the original idea was. He’s now chasing that same lightning with his latest project, Beatlesjuice — taking on Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice with a Fab Four soundtrack. He’s been road-testing it at this year’s Festival, and even in its work-in-progress state it’s insanely gorgeous, proof that Kemp has the tools and the imagination to bring it fully to life.

This was less a revival — more like Elvis’s own 1968 comeback — but above all a resurrection: a bloody, hilarious celebration of cult cinema, rock ’n’ roll, and Fringe invention at its finest.

****

Reviewed by Steve H

Venue : Hoots Grassmarket

Time 16.00

Until date 21st Aug.