If you haven’t heard of the Willy Wonka Experience in Glasgow by now, where have you been?
Advertised as an enchanting magical experience and priced at a whopping £35 per ticket, the event proved to be an AI-generated failure.
The “immersive experience” turned out to be nothing more than an almost-abandoned warehouse, with the odd decoration scattered about while Oompa Loompas handed out rations of jellybeans to crying children.
The failure of the event has sparked a global conversation – with Scots actor Karen Gillan saying she’d like to star in an adaptation of the event.
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) even chipped in, sharing the image below with the caption: “Unions: because your boss doesn’t always know best."
The TUC has a point. Underneath the bizarreness of the whole ordeal, there’s an important question that must be asked.
What if the Oompa Loompas had been in a union?
Who is the real villain?
In the aftermath of the event, which even saw police called, actors have taken to the internet to share their experience of working there.
The actor playing the Unknown (below) – an evil chocolatier who hides in the walls (no, really) – turned out to be just 16 years old.
Questions are still swirling around on whether the actors have been paid for their work yet, too.
The image which has sparked the most conversation is the one below, where a sad Oompa Loompa dishes out jellybeans alongside a suspicious-looking chemistry set.
Although this image perfectly captures the whole essence of the event, there’s more to it than that.
The actor – Kirsty Paterson – was later pictured interacting with children, taking pictures with them and smiling while handing out jellybeans.
Responding to these images, the TUC said: “Staff doing their best under a terrible boss. A tale as old as time.”
The strength and professionalism of these actors, despite the horrible conditions they faced, is deeply impressive – and reminds us why workers so deserve proper trade union representation.
Let’s show some solidarity with the actors at the Willy Wonka Experience and encourage all workers, of all ages (and costumes), to join a union.
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