The King is dud
Elvis Evolution , Issue 1655 LONDON'S new Elvis Evolution attraction promised fans a "jaw-dropping" experience, with a life-size digital version of the King performing "iconic moments in musical history on a UK stage for the first time".

But the studio contracted to produce these holographic effects went bust earlier this year, so instead audiences – having forked out up to £300 per ticket – were left, er, all shook up to see three blokes playing instruments in front of old footage on a 2-D screen.

"I genuinely had a better experience cracking a beer at home and watching Elvis videos on YouTube," moaned one disappointed customer.

"If by 'immersive' you mean some wind effects and a train simulation, then I think you need to set your watches past 2004," said another.

"Don't bother. It's shit," a third warned, succinctly.

Love letters
On the day tickets went on sale last October, Andrew McGuinness, CEO of creators Layered Reality, had promised: "This isn't a concert, it's a journey through Elvis' life... a fusion of theatre, cinema and something like ABBA Voyage."

Mark Benson, president of tech wizardry partner The Mill, boasted that they would "put Elvis back in the building" by training AI models to recreate his famous live performances. Hopes were high. ABBA Voyage's astonishing realistic avatars are still playing to sellout crowds and pulling in £2m a week, three years after it opened.

Elvis Evolution would complete its run at its specially built £300m London venue down the road from ABBA, then move on to Tokyo, Berlin and the King's spiritual home, Las Vegas.

Channel 4 Ventures bought into the Elvis vision, swapping £1.7m of free advertising for a stake in the production. Advance ticket sales topped £5m, starting at £75 each. Layered Reality was selected for the mayor of London's Grow London Global programme to support innovative companies "scale their businesses and expand their global presence".

Suspicious minds
The opening was held up, twice, however, in November, then spring, with the makers citing issues with a partner. What they did not reveal, as they carried on flogging tickets, was that The Mill went into administration in February along with its parent company, Technicolor.

"Our solution was to directly hire talent to complete the work that was under way to support the storytelling of the show," they said.

The talent did not even include an Elvis impersonator, just reconditioned footage from the 1968 comeback TV show and a small band of musicians.

The company is now inundated with furious fans demanding their money back, including thousands who haven't even been yet but have seen the dismal reviews and memes recalling last year's pisspoor Willy's Chocolate Experience in Glasgow. More than 800 joined a Facebook group for dissatisfied customers in just two days.

Layered Reality is so far refusing refunds, insisting it never misled anyone and updated its marketing to accurately reflect the show as it "developed".

Devil in disguise
Candy Rose, UK president of the Official Elvis Presley Fan Club, was among the first to sign up for pre-sale tickets back in January 2024. She told the Eye: "They must think we are all nutters dressed up in jumpsuits who are not going to notice that Elvis never even entered the building. They have scammed us, and Action Fraud have told me they are investigating.

"They must have known there would be no holographic Elvis in February. They are now saying they made that clear, but they didn't – it's my job to keep an eye on these things for the fans. Now, because of the delays in the opening, I have timed out of getting my money back."

The production was backed by Elvis Presley Enterprises and the singer's estate, which did not respond to the Eye's request for a comment.

A Layered Reality spokesperson said: "We set out to create something unique that had few parallels, combining live music and technology. In interviews we were careful to point out that the show was not quite the same as anything that's out there." Well, that's all right (then), mama!