Actor hired as Willy Wonka for cancelled event called it a place 'where dreams went to die'
An actor who was hired to play Willy Wonka at a "shambles" of an event has described the experience as "where dreams went to die" - as a young "Oompa Loompa" was left disappointed he "didn't even get a Freddo".
Willy's Chocolate Experience was brought to a halt on Saturday as parents demanded their money back amid complaints the event was not what was advertised.
The £35-a-ticket experience at Box Hub in Glasgow was sold as a "chocolate fantasy like never before" where "dreams become reality".
Despite promos pledging a "journey filled with wondrous creations and enchanting surprises", families were instead met with a near-empty venue decorated with a handful of Wonka-themed props and a small bouncy castle.
Parents told of how their children only received a couple of sweets and a quarter of a can of Barr's Limeade.
Dundee dad Stuart Sinclair, 29, described it as "an absolute shambles of an event".
One parent wrote on Facebook: "Sold a dream and delivered a nightmare."
Organiser House of Illuminati pulled the plug on the weekend event midway through its first day and promised full refunds.
'I thought it was where dreams went to die'
Michael Archibald, 18, was hired to play Willy Wonka at the event after applying for a role on Thursday and being called to rehearsals on Friday.
He told Sky News it was all "incredibly last minute" and "completely unmotivated" as the script had been AI-generated.
The script was then scrapped on the morning of the event, with the performers reportedly told to "make things up" as they went along.
Michael, a University of Strathclyde student, said there were a number of Willy Wonkas and Oompa Loompas on the day.
He joked: "I was one of the Willy Wonkas, which is incredibly sad for my public image."
Michael said he arrived to a queue when he showed up for his shift, but was left unimpressed by the lack of decorations.
He said: "I thought it was incredibly sad. For me, I was incredibly embarrassed.
"I thought it was where dreams went to die - that would have been the best way of describing it."
Michael said he "looked the part" but said his performance lacked sound support.
He said: "We didn't have speakers, which was really unprofessional. In the middle of my acting, I couldn't project my voice loud enough and the crowd at the back couldn't hear me.
"But the kids were absolute wonders. They were just so lovely. They were wanting photos and were getting really excited.
"And I just wanted to make sure that I did my role as best as I could and make their day just that little bit better.
"I knew the parents were definitely fuming about it because it wasn't as described and there were kids that were genuinely really upset."
Michael said he's not been put off performing and the incident has made him realise he can work well under pressure.
He added: "I think this is incredibly ironic, considering it was one of the first jobs that I'd heard back from. And I was like, 'oh, wonderful'.
"I'm an artist myself, and I love just being involved in these kinds of things. So, I don't think this is going to put me off. I think this has strengthened my resolve, if anything."
'He didn't even get a Freddo'
Janine Yardley, who travelled with her husband and two sons from Motherwell in North Lanarkshire, said she stood in "utter disbelief" at the state of the event after being promised an immersive adventure.
Her seven-year-old son, Elliot, dressed up as an Oompa Loompa for the occasion and was left bitterly disappointed.
Ms Yardley told Sky News that the schoolboy was "really angry" as he "didn't even get a bit of chocolate - not even a Freddo".
Ms Yardley also noted that Elliot was given a quarter of a cup of limeade in the "lemonade room".
She joked: "He was not a happy Oompa."
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A Police Scotland spokesperson said officers were called to the cancelled event and "advice was given".
House of Illuminati apologised via a Facebook post and promised full refunds, which has since been deleted.
It said it had planned a "fabulous" event but "it just did not take shape".
A spokesperson said: "Unfortunately last minute we were let down in many areas of our event and tried our best to continue on and push through and now realise we probably should have cancelled first thing this morning instead."
House of Illuminati was contacted for comment.
