In the fast-paced world of the internet, it’s easy to forget the train wreck that was Willy’s Chocolate Experience, a poorly executed “immersive” event in Glasgow. The debacle spawned countless memes, including the iconic image of a forlorn Oompa Loompa surrounded by smoke and lab equipment. Now, surprisingly, the unlicensed Wonka experience is back, this time with a twist. Headlining in Los Angeles, Willy’s Chocolate Experience L.A. is an unaffiliated homage to the original event’s most memorable elements, with a charitable twist. Featuring an assembly of “full weirdo experiential” performers from L.A.’s underground arts, music, and nightlife scenes, the event aims to bring the chaos and absurdity to the City of Angels. Slated for April 28 on the edge of Downtown, Willy’s Chocolate Experience L.A. makes no attempt to hide its satirical nature. The Eventbrite page boldly proclaims, “yes, this is a real event,” and emphasizes that the $44 tickets will benefit the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Despite sharing the name with the organizers of the original Willy’s Chocolate Experience, House of Illuminati L.A. has no connection to the Scottish company. Instead, it’s an anonymous collective of creatives who saw the viral joy in the Glasgow event’s ridiculousness and lack of polish and decided to bring that spirit to Los Angeles. While the individuals involved have organized or participated in local events, Willy’s marks the debut of House of Illuminati L.A. and will be the first time most of the participants meet in person. In an email interview, an unnamed representative of House of Illuminati L.A. discussed the logistics of bringing together the event’s diverse lineup of artists, comedians, curators, and underground nightlife promoters. The L.A. edition of Willy’s will deliberately replicate the elements that made the Glasgow original so meme-worthy, even down to the price, which is a currency-converted nod to the £35 entry fee. Attendees can expect an oversized warehouse adorned with astroturf, a singular lollipop, and a limited supply of jellybeans. In true Willy’s fashion, AI will be shamelessly abused, this time to generate a script for a play about the origins of the Unknown, the enigmatic silver-masked, black-cloaked figure that has become synonymous with the Willy’s experience. The centerpiece of the event, however, is the “sad Oompa Loompa with a heart of gold” herself, Kirsty Paterson, who will reprise her role and emcee the evening. Her involvement was crucial, and the organizers view the event as a celebration of her spirit. “We found her quite endearing in her public postmortem,” they said. “She tried her damnedest to make the best out of a bad situation by cheering the kids up in any way she could. And not to mention how she’s handled being meme-ified to high heaven.” The rest of the lineup reads like a showcase of Los Angeles’s gonzo underground arts scene, featuring performances by comedy duo (and experienced Oompa Loompas) Clowns of Color; inflatable decor by Molly Balloons and installations by artist Layne Marie; screenings by Tiny Cinema, a four-seat silent movie theater housed in a cargo trailer; magic by Ace Ehlman; music by TIPSY and Chaki the Funk Wizard; and a DJ set by pop culture-sampling Mabson. Initially, the Willy’s parodies were perhaps too convincing when the event was first announced. The original ticketing page hinted at a nondescript warehouse location in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles. Since then, the address has been revealed as 2346 Porter Street, an event space just south of the Arts District. The event page now explicitly states that this event has no affiliation with Glasgow’s House of Illuminati, and the tone is more overtly tongue-in-cheek than the original draft. The page also clarifies who will and will not be attending. The original event listing playfully, albeit clumsily, suggested that Nathan Fielder and Zach Galifianakis were vying to moderate the Q&A session and that Timothée Chalamet had expressed interest in attending. The organizers clarified that while they approached Fielder and Galifianakis, nothing was ever confirmed. However, U.K. media outlets attached the comedians to the event, forcing the organizers to revise their pitch and remove their names from the listing. “To our credit, not a single person purchased a ticket with those names involved,” they said. “We saw the U.K. article run earlier in the morning and knew it was going to be a problem and changed the copy on the event listing before it went viral and before we sold a single golden ticket.” As for Chalamet, the organizers admitted that they never reached out to the Wonka actor. “We don’t care about him despite hearing rumors that he maybe possibly really wants to come.” If you have a strong desire to witness this chocolate-themed chaos firsthand, Willy’s Chocolate Experience L.A. will take place at 2346 Porter Street on Sunday, April 28, from 5:30 to 9 pm. Tickets cost $44, and all proceeds will be donated to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Willy’s Chocolate Experience Returns: A Parody of the Glasgow Fiasco
