Elvis Evolution at Immerse LDN isn’t just a show – it’s an experience. It mixes memory, spectacle, and nostalgia in a way that’s both clever and full of heart – especially if you’re an Elvis fan.

We started off in a neon-lit 50s-style American diner, slurping milkshakes and coke floats and admiring the retro décor. It felt like a themed set from a classic 50s movie, in a good way. Then came our NBC Burbank “passes” – actually just photo tokens for the green screen pic they’ll try and sell you later, but cleverly styled to feel like a studio visitor pass.

Once inside, we were backstage at NBC. Monitors, wires, boxes of props, and fun memorabilia on the shelves – most people went straight to sit down, but it’s worth having a nosey around the shelves first. A couple of actors welcomed us, fully in character. When I asked one of them (Suzy Kohane) where we were and what was going on, she smiled and with her authentic American accent said “NBC Burbank. Elvis is performing tonight.” It’s a small thing, but that kind of in-character interaction sets the tone well. Oh, and when I say ‘authentic’, I mean Suzy really is American.

Here’s the setup: Elvis hasn’t performed for seven years, and now he won’t leave his dressing room. Then an old friend, Sam Bell, arrives. The NBC staff are dismissive – a quietly handled moment that says a lot – but then they leave and Sam takes over as our guide, reminiscing about his old pal ‘EP’.

Every night, there are four different start times and four different casts of four, so you may not have the same actors we saw, but I can tell you that Andre Bullock, who played Sam for our group, was incredible. He had the audience hanging on his every word and we were hungry for him to tell us more and to take us wherever we were headed.

Then the record player lit up, and suddenly there were strange lights, smoke, and our two NBC hosts bursting back through a set of magical doors – now dressed as train conductors. “Let’s go to Tupelo,” Sam said, and off we went.

We stepped into what looked like a very wide vintage train carriage, with long wooden benches (well, bench-like pews with padding) and a full-width screen at the front showing us the tracks ahead. The seats vibrated, the countryside rolled past our windows, and honestly, it really did feel like we were on the move. So far, so cool.

As we pulled into town, Sam welcomed us to Tupelo, Mississippi, and we saw a bit of stylised footage – Young Elvis with a broom for a guitar, goofing around with Sam, dreaming big.

The next bit was like a cross between documentary and theatre. We stayed in our seats, but the story of Elvis’s early years played out in front of us – told through a mix of acting, voiceover, projections, and what I assume was some very clever layering of screens. There was this transparent mesh at the front that made it look like signs were floating, or that rain was falling in the foreground while the actors carried on behind it. Sometimes there was a moving walkway involved too – I couldn’t always tell how they did it, but it looked great.

Sam guided us through the journey – gospel churches, his first record, the buzz of hearing Elvis on the radio for the first time. Suzy, Leila Asghar-Ali, and Kaid Sherwood were brilliant, slipping between roles and accents so smoothly I lost track of how many characters they each played. That section probably could’ve been five minutes shorter, but honestly I didn’t mind – it was a great way of bringing Elvis’s early life to, well, life. And seeing it all through Sam’s eyes made it feel personal, like we were remembering it with him.

After that, a 20-minute break in a Hawaiian tiki bar called Blue Hawaii – a tribute to the Elvis movie of the same name. Blue Hawaii cocktails, popcorn, a cut-out of Elvis to pose with. Yes, it’s gimmicky, but also a lot of fun. There’s a brief scripted scene in the bar, after the interval – just enough to keep the story going – and then we’re off to the final room: the NBC TV studio.

This is where the big expectations come in – and some people were left disappointed. The CEO of Layered Reality had talked about the show being in the same ballpark as ABBA Voyage, even throwing around phrases like “AI”, “3D holograms”, and all the rest. So it’s no wonder some people walked in expecting Elvis to appear in full sci-fi glory. The problem is, even ABBA Voyage doesn’t use holograms – it’s just very clever lighting, motion capture, and ultra-high-res screens. But – and here’s the point – they had the real ABBA performing. Elvis Evolution can’t do that – Elvis is dead. What it does do is give us the King at his absolute peak, looking and sounding incredible on a giant screen, with a live band giving it all the energy of a proper gig.

I didn’t come along to watch a fake ‘not Elvis’ CGI puppet. What they’ve done here is much smarter – and honestly, much better.

We were in a decent sized TV studio, with seating for an audience and standing room around the front of a stage. Unless you need to sit, I urge you to get down in the dancing area in front of the stage, or up on one of the balconies at stage level – where I was.

Then 3 musicians came out on the stage and the show began in earnest. No, Elvis wasn’t on the stage, but he was on the screens, beautifully remastered and sounding fantastic accompanied by a live three-piece band. It looked great, it sounded great, it was atmospheric as hell. And yes, it was a video with live accompaniment… But, after all that set-up, maybe I’m just a push over, but it kinda felt like witnessing that 1968 Comeback Special for real. I’ve been at enough concerts where I was far enough away that I could only see the singer on the screen, and it’s never bothered me much. This felt a bit like that. Was it old footage? Yes. But the live musicians, the setting, the surround sound and the screen quality meant it didn’t feel like archival material. It felt like an event.

I was seriously surprised by some of my fellow critics’ scathing reviews. This was a great show, in my opinion. If you go in expecting a hologram or a high-tech CG Elvis performing live in the room with you, then sure, you will leave disappointed. But if you go in knowing that it’s essentially archival footage on a huge screen, paired with a live band and an immersive studio feel – then you will have a blast. I was singing my heart out to Lawdy Miss Clawdy, Hound Dog, Heartbreak Hotel, Can’t Help Falling in Love, and others, loving every second.

I didn’t expect to see a lifelike hologram of Elvis. I didn’t need it. I just wanted to feel close to the music, and that’s exactly what this gave me. It wasn’t about tricking me into thinking he was alive – it was about honouring the vibe, celebrating The King, and that’s exactly what it was. The sound is huge, the energy in the room builds, and by the time we hit If I can Dream, just about everyone was dancing or swaying.

After the comeback show ends, there’s a little documentary footage of the real Sam Bell and a few famous musicians talking about what EP meant to them. Then we exited into a massive bar area with a brilliant live band keeping the party going. It was a great ending – not just a merch stall and a dark corridor, but a full-on afterparty that kept the energy going for hours.

Elvis Evolution is not perfect. I can see how the hype around the tech has clearly led to a few dashed expectations. But my wife and I had an incredible time. It’s not Abba Voyage, it’s a different beast entirely, and I much preferred the experience as it was to the idea of just watching a CG Elvis performing on stage. Also, the actors may be few in number, but they were brilliant and really added to the whole experience.

I’ve loved Elvis since I was a kid. Not an obsessive, but his music’s always been part of the soundtrack of my life. This gave me the chance to experience that in a new way – big screen, big sound, live band, communal joy, and the immersive elements just added to that magic. I’m definitely going again, with my mum, who bought me my first Elvis album. I know she’ll love it.

If you’re a fan of the King, or just fancy something different and a lot of fun, Elvis Evolution is well worth your time and the price of admission. I’ve laid out more detail than I usually would – not to spoil the surprise, but because I’ve seen too many people walk in expecting a hologram and leave sulking. This way, you know what it is, and can have a brilliant time like I did.

Just remember, you cool cats – you can do anything but don’t step on my Blue Suede Shoes!

Elvis Evolution is at Immerse LDN, currently booking through the end of 2025.

Book your tickets at elvisevolution.com

Words by Nick Barr

Photography by Luke Dyson and Layered Reality