Glaswegian actress Kirsty Paterson is set to recreate her role as the “Sad Oompa Loompa” in the upcoming musical Willy’s Candy Spectacular, inspired by the disastrous Willy’s Chocolate Experience event in Glasgow. The event, which was shut down by police after just one day, promised ticket holders a “chocolate fantasy” but instead left them disappointed with a sparsely decorated warehouse and a handful of hired actors.
Producer Richard Kraft was inspired by the news coverage of the event and decided to turn it into a musical, enlisting the help of director Andy Fickman and a talented cast of musical veterans. The story revolves around Willy holding a press conference the day after the event is shut down, delivering a masterclass in the art of the non-apology apology.
The musical, which is a parody and has no association with the original event or the copyright holders of Dahl’s book, features two child stars from the 1971 film adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Paris Themenn and Julie Dawn Cole. The production has grown from a staged reading to a full musical, with hopes of eventually making it to Broadway.
Kirsty Paterson, who initially felt overwhelmed and anxious by the viral image of herself as the “Sad Oompa Loompa,” has embraced the attention and is excited to be a part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe production. She believes that the popularity of the original novel and its spinoffs is due to the hopeful and successful ending, much like her own journey to being a part of Willy’s Candy Spectacular.
Willy’s Candy Spectacular will be showing at the Pleasance Dome at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe from August 9th to 26th at 3pm. Don’t miss this unique and entertaining musical inspired by a real-life event gone wrong.
