Willy Wonka fans who paid $45 to relive the magical world of Roald Dahl were left in complete disappointment and their faces looked just like the viral Oompa Loompa actress from the event. ‘Willy’s Chocolate Experience’ held in Glasgow, Scotland, was a complete disaster and the organizers, the House of Illuminati, are currently busy making apologies and refunds. Meanwhile, the Oompa Loompa actress who went viral opens up about why she chose the gig in the first place.
Actress Kirsty Paterson revealed that it was the first time in her acting career that she had applied to a gig via Indeed and landed the role. From one of her photos during the event, fans were almost convinced that she was in a meth lab setting rather than that of a chocolate factory.
Oompa Loompa Actress Reveals How She Got The Job At Willy’s Chocolate Experience
Kirsty Paterson is an actress who loves working in children’s entertainment, but her recent gig was anything but entertaining to the children. During an interview with Vulture, she revealed that she was shocked when she saw the warehouse on Friday, a day before the actual event. Paterson was hired for the job via Indeed, which was a red flag that she chose to ignore at the time.
Paterson revealed that she usually received her gigs through an agency but the listed offer in Indeed was for $635 and she couldn’t just let it go. Paterson decided to set aside her skepticism and applied for the job, a decision she regrets now. She shared with Vulture:
“It was listed on Indeed. I don’t normally get my acting jobs through Indeed, but I just thought, All right. To be honest, I was a wee bit skeptical, because it was not through an agency. They were offering £500 ($635) for two days of work, so I decided to go.”
Paterson further shared the horrific conditions of the event, revealing that they were given the scripts only the night before the event. It was a first for her to receive a script at the last minute and Paterson recalled going like, “Oh, this is not…”. To make matters worse, the organizers just proved how unprepared they were when they asked the crew to improvise the script. When Paterson read the script she immediately identified that it was AI-generated.
Kirsty Paterson’s friend Jenny Fogarty, who played another Oompa Loompa, also agreed that the script felt like AI-generated. She told The Daily Mail that they were handed a script to learn in 12 hours. Both actresses had complaints about the costumes as well. Fogarty shared about the inappropriate costumes, “The costumes that were given on the morning of were like hen night kind of s*xy Oompa Loompa costumes.”
Kirsty Paterson shared that she had second thoughts about appearing for the event as it was too embarrassing. But she shared that she didn’t want to upset the kids. About the viral photo of her on the internet, she shared it was at the exact moment when she was asked to abandon the script. Paterson was angry and upset in the photo since the organizers ran out of jelly beans and people were coming up to her for the sweets. She eventually walked off due to humiliation.
Not Just Oompa Loompa, The Entire Willy Wonka Experience Was A Nightmare
The Willy’s Chocolate Experience was not just a disservice to the parents and their kids, but also to Roald Dahl, Gene Wilder, Johnny Depp, and Timothée Chalamet who played crucial roles in making Willy Wonka’s world magical. In the viral photos, the entire warehouse looked sadder than the Oompa Loompa actress. The event promised “whimsical performances” and “surprises at every turn” according to their website, but the photos showed decorations sparsely placed in a large warehouse.
i cannot put in words how enchanted I am by the willy wonka fiasco in Glasgow. cops called, kids crying in terror, all in an abandoned warehouse. this is the organic esoteric horror we’ve been missing for ages. a pure lust for chaos no multimillion dollar business could recreate pic.twitter.com/HOHAcB7V4l
— jen (@f0X_j3n) February 28, 2024
According to Sky News, one of the attendees aptly described the situation, sharing, “[the organizers] sold a dream and delivered a nightmare.“ The BBC reported that angry guests called the police to the event. One attendee, Yulia Burns, told the outlet that “the crowd became angrier” and revealed that some of the guests “never had a chance to get inside.”
The allegedly AI-generated website promoted attractions such as an Enchanted Garden, an Imagination Lab, and a Twilight Tunnel. However, audiences could barely recognize the attractions at the warehouse. House of Illuminati issued an apology for the inconvenience caused to the parents and their kids.
