Furious Families Exit 'Willy Wonka Experience 2.0' Panto

A pantomime that took place at Glasgow's OVO Hydro over the weekend has been nicknamed "Willy Wonka Experience 2.0" after several families left the performance in frustration. Angry attendees are now calling for refunds, with many claiming they have seen better performances at school events. The show, titled The Wicked Wizard of Oz: Cirque Spectacular, was marketed as a "brand-new, breath-taking, Cirque staging" of Frank L. Baum's classic story.

The production was promoted as a blend of panto and circus, but parents who attended have described it as "inappropriate, overpriced, and falsely advertised." Some have even given it the nickname "Willy Wonka Experience 2.0," suggesting it is a less impressive version of another similar event.

Following the performance on 27 December, a large number of complaints were received, leading to the creation of a Facebook group called 'The Woeful Wicked Wizard of Oz - A Not-So Cirque Spectacular.' This group has already gained over 1,200 members. A second performance was held on 28 December, with doors opening at noon.

Glasgow Live spoke to several audience members from the first showing. Carol-Ann Henderson, a mother of two, described the experience as a "shambles." She said: "It has been completely mis-sold and advertised as a cirque spectacular. If I said it was an amateur production, that would be a lie. I've seen better school shows."

One father spent £297 on tickets for his family of five. He commented: "This blows the Willy Wonka Experience right out of the water. It was an embarrassing performance from a high-profile production company."

An anonymous attendee expressed disappointment, saying she had never seen the OVO Hydro so empty so quickly. She criticized the sound quality as "awful" and was unimpressed with the props and overall production. These included a witch on a bike attached to a golf cart, munchkins on stilts, and a lack of a clear storyline.

A Facebook page created by a disappointed spectator who attended the Brighton Centre show on 16 December is filled with complaints from hundreds of people across the UK. Fiona Hanton recently posted: "Left after the first half, absolutely disgusting." Dawn Page added: "Just walked out of the terrible performance in Glasgow. The show is currently still on but absolutely shocking."

In response to similar criticism from the Manchester Evening News, a spokesperson for The World's Biggest Productions defended the show. They stated: "Wicked Wizard Of Oz opened in Blackpool to a fantastic response in October."

They explained: "The promotional videos advertising the show featured the acts that appeared in the performance in Manchester, either taken during our workshop rehearsals or at live performances in Blackpool."

The spokesperson added: "The show title 'Wicked Wizard of Oz' has a smaller typeface descriptor 'cirque spectacular' and 'panto meets cirque,' which reasonably identified that circus elements would be included in a panto style show. Six of our talented circus cast won silver medals at this year's European circus festivals."

They also clarified: "It was never suggested this was a Cirque de Soleil production. Their forthcoming UK tour has tickets from £66 - £372, and when compared to our prices of £29 - £70, it would be unrealistic to expect similar production values as Soleil."

"The show, like all pantomimes, contains some jokes in the pantomime tradition of being silly. Over 150,000 people attend our shows annually, and if maybe 0.1% do not appreciate one joke in the show, it feels rather unbalanced reporting against the mass who enjoy a form of humour that has survived two hundred years."

World's Biggest Productions and the Scottish Event Campus, which owns OVO Hydro, have been contacted for further comment.