Latest news with #immersivetheatre
Times
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Times
My night at Elvis Evolution — queues, laughter, but no burning love
The first sign that things might not be going well at the Elvis Evolution is literally a sign. It's a warning, right behind the ticket counter, that 'abuse will not be tolerated'. Over the next two-and-a-half very long hours, there are many more. The Elvis-based immersive theatre experience attracted significant attention when it was announced a year and a half ago. Andrew McGuinness, its creator and a former PR executive at Freuds, promised an experience that would be 'something like Abba Voyage'. What audiences, who have paid £75 to £300 for a ticket, discovered is something more like a YouTube video. • Fans demand refunds over cardboard cutouts at Elvis 'hologram' show On arrival at London's Excel Centre, the first thing you see is the traditional billboard of newspaper quotes. The Times described Elvis Evolution as 'the talk of the city', which is certainly true. Over the weekend, an angry pensioner had to be removed for shouting abuse during the finale and the performance was suspended. On closer inspection, the apparent verdict from The Times in fact comes from the business pages of The Sunday Times, almost eighteen months ago. Back then, Elvis Evolution was 'the talk of the city', which is to say, the City of London, when it was revealed that Layered Reality's investors were a veritable who's who of the business world, all the way up to and including the now equally notorious Labour donor Lord Alli. In London's Docklands, there's a 100-metre superyacht parked directly outside Elvis Evolution's front door. It's very hard not to imagine them all on board, trying not to die of laughter. The entrance area is an apparent recreation of Bob Burbank's all-American diner, where NBC television executives rushed to find a studio audience for Elvis Presley's famous comeback show in 1968, on which the event is centred. It does look like an identikit 1960s all-American diner, very much like the one you can find on almost any British high street. In fairness, Bob's has really gone the extra mile. I tried to order a cappuccino but, it being 1968, they only do two types of coffee, black or white. If 'The King' couldn't order a flat white — then neither can you. • What's the secret behind the success of Abba Voyage? The crowd is 90 per cent retirees, which is not entirely unexpected at an Elvis Presley-themed attraction at 2pm on a Thursday afternoon. Quite a lot of them are wearing VIP lanyards, which confirm they've parted with at least £180 for a premium package and are doing their best to pretend to be thrilled about it. But by this point, they've read the reviews. Quite a bit of cash has clearly been spent on two railroad car simulators that take visitors from Elvis's birthplace of Tupelo, Mississippi, all the way to Memphis, Tennessee. Eventually the central partition drops and the carriages merge to form a theatre with a stage and giant screens. It's a nice idea, but one significant disadvantage is that the stage now has a column in front of it. There is not a single seat in the house that could not be described as 'severely restricted view'. Not even the £300 ones. • From Abba to Elvis — are holograms really the future of pop? Naturally, there's a lengthy interval in the Blue Hawaii bar, where VIP guests drink giant sickly blue cocktails as a slight return on their jaw-dropping outlay. It's hard to wonder whether these might not be contributing to the three further warnings about not abusing the performers. It's also here that we get the chance to pose with the now notorious cardboard cutout of 'The King' in his underwear. I duly oblige. The outrage only really comes at the finale. We're led into the TV studio and, after a fresh verbal warning about abuse and a firm instruction to please actually applaud when the 'applause' signs light up, the finale begins — which is to say, someone presses play on a video of Elvis's 1968 comeback show, which absolutely all the attendees have seen, many, many times before. Also, unless you've paid for the VIP treatment, you'll be ushered into the standing-room only section. A meagre £75 does not secure a seat. There are, in fairness, three live performers in burgundy jumpsuits, dressed up like the backing band from the famous 1968 show. It's clear they've had a very long week. They look like Johnny Cash and The Tennessee Three waiting to perform at Folsom Prison and wondering if they'll make it out alive. The finale can be most generously described as underwhelming. By the time of my visit, several days of widespread national disdain have done their job. Expectations have been managed. Rather than riots, there is mere incredulous laughter. When the performers walk off again to make way for a ten-minute documentary explaining just how much of a big deal Elvis really was, the crowd are merely shaking their heads in disdain. By this point, Elvis Illusion ticket holders already know that they're caught in a trap and, despite the extremely pedestrian nature of the show, we can't actually walk out. When we're finally allowed out, the man in front of me dares to ask his wife what she thought. There's a long pause, and then: 'It wasn't as bad as everyone says.' That sort of praise could easily end up on the billboard. Elvis Evolution is certainly a hunk of something, but it's not burning love.
Times
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Times
Inside the Elvis Evolution chaos: ‘bad pay, booing and low morale'
When performers were cast in Elvis Evolution, an ambitious new theatre show billed as an 'authentic' AI tribute to the king of rock'n'roll, many believed it would be a career-defining opportunity. Elvis Evolution, produced by Layered Reality, is an immersive theatre show blending live performance, storytelling and AI. Set across multiple themed spaces, the experience promised audiences a 'life-sized digital Elvis performing iconic moments in musical history on a UK stage for the first time'. Tickets to the show at the Excel London cost £75 for a standard ticket and £300 for a 'super VIP' option, which includes a mid-show champagne experience, commemorative glass, dedicated seating, a drink at each of the three bars and cloakroom access. • Fans demand refunds over cardboard cutouts at Elvis 'hologram' show Within a week of its opening, on July 18 — and after audience complaints and intense public scrutiny — cast members said the reality behind the scenes had been far from the dazzling production promised. Instead of the holographic Elvis that had been expected, AI had been used only to compile video footage. The holographic imagery promoted in early publicity never materialised. One performer claimed the working environment had left them feeling 'demoralised', 'exploited' and desperate to escape a 'sinking ship'. In a letter sent to producers and seen by The Times, 23 cast members raised several concerns about the production. The letter, signed by 'the cast of Elvis Evolution', raises concerns about pay and chaotic rehearsals. One cast member claims that the show's central draw — an AI-powered hologram of Elvis Presley — was misrepresented. 'We had seen comments on Facebook about the Elvis fans wanting a hologram. And we knew that there were no holograms at all being used,' an actor on the show, who wished to remain anonymous, told The Times. 'Once we saw the AI, we were actually really disappointed. We were sold the same delivery as the audience members. We were told it was going to be this progressive AI, imaginative, creative piece.' Despite tickets being sold for up to £300, performers claim they were paid as little as £13.50 an hour, with some performers alleging that they were 'often left in hallways doing nothing' during rehearsals periods. • From Abba to Elvis — are holograms really the future of pop? Poor scheduling, they claim, made it impossible to take on other jobs. Performers were asked to keep weekdays free in case they were called in at short notice, sometimes for just a few hours but often with nothing to do. 'One day you wouldn't be called in and then the next day you'd find out you're called in for 11 o'clock, only to then leave at one. And in those two hours, you've done nothing,' the actor continued. As morale dropped, the cast say they attempted to raise concerns formally about the conditions. In their letter to the producers, they highlighted that 'the ad hoc nature of the hours, combined with the current level of compensation, has meant that many cast members have had to seek additional employment; second and third jobs, in order to cover basic living expenses'. The response, the actor said, was underwhelming. 'We could see the wheels were falling off the car very early,' the actor said. 'When we sent the letter, they emailed us back saying we can give you 50p more and make it £14 an hour. All while selling tickets on pre-sale for £300.' According to those involved, multiple departments, including costume, reportedly experienced upheaval, with some people deciding to leave the production. The actor claimed 'panic' had spread across the production, with 'every single department' in disarray. This version of events, however, has been disputed by others on the production. One cast member claimed their experience on Elvis Evolution is 'standard across theatre'. They said: 'When rehearsal hours were lower than expected, this was flagged by the cast and quickly remedied for all of us. We reached an agreement on a minimum rate of monthly pay; for me, they've always been open to listening and quick to deal with queries. 'We have an ongoing dialogue with all Layered Reality departments, and we have two team members who are dedicated to working with us. Due to the nature of the show, the director was with the dev and tech teams to bring the show to life. With such a big cast of people playing different roles, rehearsal call times were staggered, but this is standard in an immersive production of this scale.' Responding to claims of upheaval, one cast member said the production had only lost 'one member of cast from the beginning of the rehearsal process'. This, they added, is 'probably a low turnover rate compared to most immersive productions'. The production had initially suggested that the 'brand new interactive experience' would involve cutting-edge AI and holographic imagery. Plans for the hologram were scrapped, a development fans quickly noticed. The audience, the actor said, quickly picked up on the show's flaws. 'I think it's been really awful for the cast. One of my colleagues came on stage and got booed before he'd even given a line,' they said. 'The audience felt duped because they'd read the reviews. It's really demoralising. it's a sinking ship.' 'I said very early on I don't want anyone I know to come and watch this. We were embarrassed. But at the end of the day, we've signed this contract. With the current acting climate and our profession being so risky, we're just doing our job. Ultimately it's not our fault.' Paige Rannigan, 29, from Essex, spent more than £200 on tickets , expecting a 'life-sized digital Elvis'. 'There were three musicians on the stage in front of the screen, acting as the musicians that were there in real life,' she said. 'But their instruments weren't plugged in and there was fake applause over the top. There were only about three songs on his '68 comeback video, but it was anything you could look up on YouTube or iPlayer.' In the cast's open letter, they call for several key changes: a guaranteed minimum weekly pay, a review of compensation, paid breaks and travel reimbursement, clearer scheduling, itemised payslips, and formalised guidelines in line with Equity standards. A Layered Reality spokesperson said: 'As an immersive theatre company, the welfare and happiness of our cast members is of the utmost importance, and we greatly value our entire team. Since the beginning of rehearsals, our cast have had two full-time employees — our company manager and performance manager — dedicated to protecting the well-being of the actors, who our actors can speak to at any time, to address any concerns. 'Throughout pre-production and live shows, where concerns have been raised, adjustments and improvements have been promptly sought and implemented. We're talking directly with cast members who have expressed concerns.' The spokesperson added: 'As with many complex productions that are two years in development, and creating something new to the market, the concept did develop from our earliest vision announced in January 2024, but all communications since October 2024 reflected an accurate picture of the show as it evolved.'
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Elvis Evolution review: The King is in the building
Elvis Evolution review and star rating: ★★★★ We live in an age where the image of Elvis prceedes the reality of the man himself. Think of Presley and bequiffed impersonators from Vegas to Blackpool probably come to mind. In many ways, he has been bastardised by mimicry. Elvis Evolution has an incredibly nuanced way of circumnavigating this problem which I found incredibly touching. I won't reveal the surprise, but there are certainly no tacky beachfront showmen making a dime here. Live events space ImmerseLDN that houses the Elvis Evolution show is part of a £300 million development at Royal Docks that also includes Friends and Squid Game immersive experiences. The show tells the backstory of the rock 'n' roll pioneer, focusing on how rhythm and blues, soul and the black experience shaped Presley. Growing up in Mississippi, the Presleys were one of four white families in a predominantly black neighourhood, and Elvis' real life childhood friend Sam Bell (who died in 2021) acts as the protagonist. The story explores their boyhood relationship through to when Elvis had become a global superstar. We meet the people who stood in Elvis' way, and helped carved out his path. Elvis Evolution: a new template for immersive theatre The action takes place in a TV studio, the backlot, a tropical bar and his hometown of Tupelo in Mississippi. All have been recreated with incredible attention to detail. There are some beautiful scenes imagining action hero versions of Elvis and Sam who, as children, are caught in a storm. Using projection screens and lighting displays, it is a beautiful way to convey their childhood creativity, and the show culminates in a particularly stirring scene depicting Elvis walking on stage for his big TV return in 'the '68 Comeback Special. The whirl of lighting and special affects make this hair-raising stuff. The expensive-looking production takes almost two hours to walk through as actors hoard groups from set to set. It wouldn't work without capable actors, but it often doesn't take much – the flurry of flustered techies or TV producers within the Elvis world – to make us feel like we are truly there. The only issue is for about half an hour of the experience a lack of tiered seating in one auditorium means it's a struggle to see the full action on stage, and half the view is the back of other audience members' heads. You exit the world of Elvis into an incredibly lively after party with Elvis themed 'all shook up' cocktails and a live band. ImmerseLDN's arrival into the immersive theatre space comes amid much criticism about the state of the genre as a whole. There have been too many average immersive theatre productions that haven't had the imaginative quality behind them to justify the ticket costs. Critics aren't taking these shows seriously yet either: only two UK national newspapers sent reviewers to Elvis Evolution's opening night. Since the likes of Punchdrunk invented the form by staging theatre in abandoned office blocks, the immersive landscape has been trying to work out what to do next. I'd argue that ImmerseLDN's Elvis Evolution is edging closer to that answer. Read more: Sign in to access your portfolio
