An event advertised as an “immersive experience” based on Willy Wonka’s world was actually just a partially decorated warehouse. Several upset parents were upset enough to report it to the police.
Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory is a magical, colorful place with a chocolate river, edible flowers and Oompa Loompas bustling about. But a “Willy Wonka” event in Glasgow, Scotland that was billed as an immersive experience turned out to be less than stellar. In fact, when some ticket holders showed up with their kids, they called the police.
Stuart Sinclair, a father, travelled for two hours with his three children and spent $44 per ticket for the event. He informed CBS News’ Anne-Marie Green that there was no chocolate available, which was the most disappointing aspect of the experience.
According to him, the event space was merely a warehouse and the decoration was done poorly. Pictures of the sparse decorations in the vast warehouse have become very popular online.
Stuart Sinclair
“It was marketed as a grand and engaging adventure, perfect for children, complete with chocolate fountains … It sounded incredibly appealing, a wonderful outing for the little ones and the entire family,” recalled Sinclair. “However, upon arrival, as evidenced by the photos and details, it was far from the expectations. There were only a handful of props, a small quantity of jelly beans for the kids, and a mere half cup of lemonade. It was not at all what had been advertised.”
What an absolute shambles of an event.
“Willy wonka experience” ran by House of Illuminati in Glasgow, this was…Posted by Stuart Sinclair on Saturday, February 24, 2024
In a previous post that has since been removed from social media, House of Illuminati – the organizers of the event – expressed their remorse and announced that they would be providing a complete refund to all ticket holders as a gesture of apology.
Sinclair stated that he has yet to receive a reimbursement.
The performer who portrayed Willy Wonka expressed surprise and uncertainty about whether or not he and his fellow actors would be compensated. In an interview with BBC Radio’s Good Morning Scotland, Paul Connell disclosed that it was disappointing to see a large turnout at the event where he was dressed as Willy Wonka in a partially abandoned warehouse.
“He told me that I was given the role on Thursday and was given 15 pages to memorize, but when I arrived, I realized it was all AI-generated nonsense,” he recalled.
“The actors were furious, we’d been conned as well and it did turn quite scary at one point because people were angry,” he said. “There was lots of shouting and groups of people getting very, very irate.”
According to BBC News, the House of Illuminati was forced to end their experience on Saturday due to complaints from displeased visitors. The situation escalated to the point where the police were even called in by some individuals.
According to BBC News, the Trading Standards department of Glasgow City Council received a single complaint about the event.
CBS News has contacted House of Illuminati and Box Hub for a comment on the event, but has yet to receive a response. Box Hub provided the event space, but was not responsible for the experience.
Caitlin O’Kane
Source: cbsnews.com