It should be an unforgettable and exciting experience: “Welcome to a world where dreams come true and a delightful surprise awaits at every corner!” – this is how the organizers praised the “Willy Wonka Experience” last weekend in Glasgow, Scotland. But the promised interactive chocolate adventure with live performances including dancing Oompa Loompas turned out to be a complete disappointment.
As several British media reports, instead of giant mushrooms, candy canes and chocolate fountains, parents and children were treated to a real tragedy in a breathtaking setting with exciting special and sound effects. In a huge warehouse, which was visibly recognizable as such, there were only a few plastic decorative items placed in a completely random manner. There were black curtains, large cloths or wallpaper with scenery prints hanging on the walls, and there was also a small bouncy castle. Many of the structures appeared to have been hastily and carelessly cobbled together. A frightening figure with a chrome mask is said to have even made children cry. The participants had shelled out 35 pounds for the event, the equivalent of almost 41 euros.
“As soon as they walked in the door they were like ‘Wow’ and shaking their heads, in complete disbelief at how bad it was,” one father said of his children’s disappointment. Another said he was initially filled with anticipation: “However, upon arrival, our hopes were quickly dashed as we saw disappointed families leaving the venue. The sight of a makeshift golden gate marked ‘Factory’ only increased our skepticism .” Another man, who was also there with his children, explained: “My two boys were like, ‘What’s the point?’ They laughed their asses off at everything.” Even his four-year-old daughter, who was so excited about the event and was initially a little disappointed, just laughed at the end. “It was really so bad that all you could do was laugh about it.”
An actor who portrayed Willy Wonka at the event told Scottish news portal STV News: “I was just sad because I realized how many kids were going to get through this. And when I looked around I thought, ‘This is it. .. that’s awful.” He and his colleagues were told to give the children a gummy bear and a quarter cup of lemonade at the end. Chocolate? None! He later explained on Tiktok that just the day before he had received a 15-page script that contained a monologue that looked as if it had been generated by artificial intelligence. When he asked those responsible what he should do now, since there were no special effects, they just said he should improvise.
An actress who was hired to play Oompa Loompa told a newspaper that she also received a 15-page script to read the night before the event began and received her costume an hour before the families arrived. “The wigs were very cheap. We were simply handed an Amazon package that probably didn’t arrive until that morning.”
Some parents were so upset that they even called the police. Police Scotland confirmed police officers were called when angry crowds began gathering outside the venue. Organizers were later forced to issue over 800 refunds.
After just a few hours, the makers came to their senses and canceled the event. A now-deleted Facebook statement from House of Illuminati, the organizers of the Willy Wonka Experience, said: “Today has been a very stressful and frustrating day for many, and we are truly sorry for that. Unfortunately, we have been… “We failed at the last minute in many areas of our event and did our best to go ahead and see the event through, and now we realize that we probably should have canceled it first thing this morning.” And further: “We apologize fully for the events and will refund the full amount to everyone who purchased tickets.”
Watch the video above: What did Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory actually look like at the very beginning? The new “Wonka” trailer provides a colorful answer to this. “Wonka” opens in theaters on December 14, 2023.
Quellen: The Guardian, New York Times, What’s on Glasgow, STV News, The Scotsman, TikTok
