The fascination with immersive exhibitions and themed worlds continues to reach new heights, but one in Glasgow caused a stir on social media. What began as a promising event centered around the popular character named Willy Wonka turned out to be a disaster that shocked visitors in particular and went viral online.
Immersive exhibitions aim to deeply engage visitors in an experience that goes beyond traditional art viewing. The term “immersive” is derived from the English “immerse”, which means to immerse. This form of exhibition creates an environment in which visitors actively participate in the events.
Willy Wonka: A Magical Story
The Willy Wonka Experience in Glasgow was based on the fictional character Willy Wonka and the world-famous story by Roald Dahl. The idea was to take visitors into a fairytale world, similar to the successes of theme parks such as Universal Studios or the Harry Potter exhibition. With Timothée Chalamet in the lead role, the event promised to be a magical experience.
From sparse decorations to the police
Instead of a land of milk and honey with oversized chocolate fountains, the participants experienced a sparsely decorated industrial hall. The Oompa Loompas struggled with their lines, and a scary figure that doesn’t even appear in the book scared the kids. The anger reached its peak when some participants called the police. The House of Illuminati refunded 850 tickets on the first day and abruptly canceled the event.
what if we held hands and kissed at the Glasgow Willy Wonka experience pic.twitter.com/kiBFBbWpL0
— erin???? (@erinmhk) February 28, 2024
Actors involuntarily become stars
Despite the fiasco, the actors achieved a certain level of fame. Kirsty Paterson, in the role of an Oompa Loompa in the chemistry lab, has been compared to a cook in a meth kitchen.
This photo from the Willy wonka experience is single handedly the photo of the year. I know it’s only February but close the vote there’s no topping this. Please find this woman she needs to be interviewed ASAP pic.twitter.com/97wsodLLpQ
— ???????? (@agneponx) February 27, 2024
Felicia, just 16 years old, surprised everyone as “The Unknown”, a character who does not exist in the original story. She described him as a “scary chocolatier who lives in the walls.” Felicia, making her first appearance on the Wonka Experience, took the unexpected celebrity with humor as she laughed at her involuntary transformation into an attraction.
Glasgow’s Willy Wonka Experience ???? pic.twitter.com/aD2RWchiPm
— Scottish Banter (@1scottishbanter) February 28, 2024
AI art instead of reality
As an advertising medium, AI-created images were used that in no way showed reality, as it later turned out. At least the picture was used in the backdrop of the show.
What if we kissed in front of the immersive Willy Wonka experience poster pic.twitter.com/NEZKbkVquO
– Ben Yahr (@benyahr) February 28, 2024
Here a user on TikTok shows the comparison:
video/7340702215809649963" class="tiktok-embed" data-video-id="7340702215809649963" style="max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px;">An immersive experience for Willy Wonka’s fans did not go as expected…
2024-03-04 16:39:13
#Chaos #Willy #Wonka #Experience #viral
