Willy's Chocolate Experience

Coordinates: 55°52′19″N 4°20′24″W / 55.872°N 4.340°W / 55.872; -4.340
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Not to be confused with Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.

Willy's Chocolate Experience
File:Enchanting-entertainment.png
One of the AI-generated advertisements used for the event
StatusDefunct
Date(s)24 February 2024
VenueBox Hub Warehouse
Location(s)Glasgow, Scotland
CountryUnited Kingdom
Years active2024
FounderBilly Coull
Websitewillyschocolateexperience.com

Willy's Chocolate Experience was an unlicensed event based on the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory franchise, held in Glasgow in February 2024. The event was promoted as an immersive and interactive family experience, illustrated on its website with "dreamlike" AI generated images.[1][2][3] When the event itself turned out to be a largely empty warehouse with a few props and decorations, many customers complained and the police were called to the venue. The event went viral on the Internet, garnering international media attention.[3][4][5][6][7]

The event was compared by some to the 2014 Tumblr fan convention DashCon and Billy McFarland's Fyre Festival.[8][9][10]

Background

The event was promoted on Glasgow listing websites for the 24th and 25th of February 2024.[2] The promotional material advertised "stunning and intricately designed settings inspired by Roald Dahl's timeless tale" and "an array of delectable treats scattered throughout the experience".[11] The website for the event used AI-generated imagery and included spelling errors, such as the phrase "catchy tunes" being spelled as "cartchy tuns".[12] Tickets cost £35.[3]

The event was organised by House of Illuminati, a company registered to Billy Coull. It claims to offer "unparalleled immersive experiences"; Rolling Stone magazine concluded that its websites were likely written by an AI chatbot. Coull had also registered a number of other companies, and had claimed to work as a "consultant" for a now-defunct brand called Empowerity. In 2021 he had co-directed an also now-defunct Glasgow food bank. He had published 16 books, for each of which the text was AI-generated, on topics including vaccine conspiracy theories, right-wing politics, and the "deep state".[13]

Actor Kirsty Paterson, who played one of the Oompa-Loompas, said that the job offer had been posted on Indeed.com and offered £500 for two days of work.[1]

Event

The event took place in a warehouse which was located in an industrial area of Glasgow. Set dressings inside the warehouse included a few plastic props, a small bouncy castle, and backdrop images pinned to some of the walls.[6] Paul Connell, who was one of three actors hired to portray Willy Wonka (renamed "Willy McDuff" in scripts) in the event, stated that he had been sent a script containing "15 pages of AI-generated gibberish",[14] including references to an invented character known as "The Unknown", who was described as "an evil chocolate maker who lives in the walls", and who he was to defeat using a vacuum cleaner—a prop that was not provided. Connell was told he would be given a 15-minute break every 45 minutes, but instead ended up playing his character for 3.5 hours straight.[14]

Paterson said that after the first runthrough of the performance, the cast were told to abandon the script and instead let guests walk through the venue, a process that the actor said took "about two minutes".[1] Connell later stated that he and other employees were told to give the children "one jelly bean and a quarter cup of lemonade".[14][6]

The event, scheduled to run for a weekend,[2] was abruptly cancelled by organiser Billy Coull midway through its opening day,[13][6] with Coull offering to refund 850 people.[14] Police were called to the venue after complaints from customers.[6]

Reactions

Patrons who attended gave negative reviews due to the lackluster nature of the experience, and many demanded their money back.[6] The event's Facebook page claimed to be offering refunds.[13]

Box Hub, the organisation that rented the warehouse to House of Illuminati, issued an apology and offered to provide a venue free of charge for those who attended the event. Box Hub also apologised on behalf of House of Illuminati, stating that they "either have no regards for the families and young children they have disappointed or are too embarrassed to comment".[3]

Coull deleted his LinkedIn profile, YouTube channel and personal website in response to the controversy, though did not take down his Instagram account.[13]

A photograph of Paterson playing an Oompa-Loompa at a table covered in scientific equipment became a significant depiction of the event. The image became a meme and was compared to a picture of a "meth lab".[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Mack, David (28 February 2024). "Glasgow's Sad Oompa Loompa Isn't Gonna Sugarcoat This". Vulture. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Holpuch, Amanda (27 February 2024). "A Few Jelly Beans and a World of Disappointment at Willy Wonka Event". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d "A Willy Wonka-inspired experience 'scam' was so bad that people called the cops". NBC News. 28 February 2024. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  4. ^ Hibberd, James (27 February 2024). "Willy Wonka Immersive Event Leaves Kids in Tears: "It Looks Like a Meth Lab"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  5. ^ Edwards, Benj (27 February 2024). "Cops called after parents get tricked by AI-generated images of Wonka-like event". Ars Technica. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Brooks, Libby (27 February 2024). "Glasgow Willy Wonka experience called a 'farce' as tickets refunded". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  7. ^ "Police called to Glasgow Willy Wonka event after families demand refunds". BBC News. 26 February 2024. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  8. ^ Colbert, Isaiah (27 February 2024). "Willy Wonka Experience Promoted Using Suspected AI Art Was So Bad That Customers Called the Police". IGN. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  9. ^ Stenzel, Wesley (27 February 2024). "Chocolate Fyre Festival? Inside the Willy Wonka event that had infuriated guests calling the cops". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  10. ^ Cohen, Danielle (28 February 2024). "Welcome to Fyre Fest: Wonka Edition". The Cut. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  11. ^ "Willy Wonka Experience". What's On Glasgow. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  12. ^ "Willy's Chocolate Experience". Willy's Chocolate Experience. 28 February 2023. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  13. ^ a b c d Klee, Miles (28 February 2024). "Huckster Behind 'Willy Wonka' Event Also Sells AI-Written Vaccine Conspiracy Books". Rolling Stone.
  14. ^ a b c d Davis, Barney (29 February 2024). "Willy Wonka actor breaks silence on disastrous Willy's Chocolate Experience". The Independent. Retrieved 29 February 2024.

55°52′19″N 4°20′24″W / 55.872°N 4.340°W / 55.872; -4.340

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