JADAR

★★★☆☆

Last week, I found myself trekking to a new corner of East London for an Elvis Presley–themed day out. I took the Elizabeth Line to Custom House and stepped into the ExCeL Centre for the first time. The mammoth venue was unfamiliar to me, though it likely triggers university flashbacks for many former London students who once trudged east to sit their exams there. Among its sprawl of conventions, testing centres and trade expos sits Immerse LDN, which, as the name suggests, trades in themed immersive experiences – including Elvis Evolution, which opened last year.

The show takes you on a two-hour journey through Elvis Presley’s life – from his meteoric rise to fame through to global stardom, culminating in his 1968 NBC Comeback Special. The attention to detail is striking, with real care given to the interactive sets that attendees are guided through. You begin in Bob’s Burbank Diner, a ’60s-style eatery inspired by the Bob’s Big Boy just down the road from NBC Studios. From there, you’re ushered into the NBC green room and encouraged to poke around the space where Elvis prepared for his first live performance after a seven-year hiatus. This section also features live renditions of Elvis classics from a musical trio, which adds warmth and texture to the spectacle. Throughout the experience, you interact with cast members playing NBC studio execs, assistants, Elvis’ childhood best friend, and more.

Next comes a train journey through Elvis’ childhood. The combined use of projection and actors to simulate a moving carriage – paired with an Elvis montage and narration – is playful and inventive. Like many newer experiential shows, Elvis Evolution is clearly attempting to innovate in an increasingly crowded attention economy. You have to give it credit for trying something different (and for swerving direct comparisons to ABBA Voyage in Stratford). The steep price tag and occasional gimmickry are somewhat redeemed by its ambition and willingness to take a creative risk in pursuit of your ever-fragmented attention.

Between the train sequence and the final show, you’re funnelled into the Blue Hawaii bar. This section feels like a strange, suspended in-between space – a kind of “waiting room for existence” you might stumble into in The Matrix or Spirited Away. There are themed cocktails and, of course, more Elvis music. It’s atmospheric, but tonally adrift.

The final performance, set in a recreated NBC studio, reunites us with the musical trio from the green room, who play Elvis hits alongside archival footage enhanced with AI. It’s here that the concept feels most conflicted. The live musicians have presence and charisma; the AI elements, by contrast, feel unnecessary, even distracting.

To its credit, the Elvis extravaganza has persevered and evolved following some rocky press, much of it focused on the initially eye-watering pricing (£75 standard tickets and £300 VIP packages) and accusations of overpromising on hologram technology. Since then, the team has adjusted both format and cost. Standard tickets now start at £60 (£23 for under-25s), while a £175 VIP pass includes concierge service, multiple drinks and a mid-show champagne moment with cast members.

It’s an occasionally jarring hybrid of exhibition, live performance, role-play and archival footage. But it dares to experiment. Once you accept it for what it is – a bold, imperfect attempt to honour an icon while entertaining modern audiences – it’s easy to embrace it as a fun activity. Something a bit quirky and different, with a lot of love and defiance poured into it by the cast.

Elvis Evolution is currently running at Immerse LDN until April 12 – with more dates to come.