Willy Wonka Oompa Loompa actress speaks out about ‘worst gig ever’

A photo of an Oompa Loompa from the amateur Glasgow Willy Wonka event went viral after the event. Now, the actress Kirsty Paterson has shared her side of the story.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory prequel Wonka was the biggest film of the Christmas period, grossing more than $600 million worldwide, and sticking around at the top of box office charts for months.

The new film inspired a new interactive experience in Glasgow, where attendees were invited to “indulge in a chocolate fantasy like never before,” for the price of £35 ($44). However, attendees were disappointed with the outcome of the event, which took place in a largely empty warehouse that had been decorated with a few scattered candy-themed props, hanging plastic backgrounds, and a small jumping castle.

Since the event, some of the actors have taken to social media to speak about their experiences. Now, Kirsty Paterson, who was the Oompa Loompa who went viral in a photo, took to TikTok to speak out about her experience of the event, which she said was “the worst gig ever”.

Viral Oopa Loompa actress opens up about Willy Wonka experience

In her first video, Kirsty said: “I feel like I need to have a say of what’s went on because I think I’ve got every right to.

“I do see the humor in it, it is really funny. My friends and family are all laughing about it. I laugh with other actors about how bizarre this has went. I don’t even look like the picture at all. Getting called a 50-year-old meth head is not great.”

Speaking to Vulture, Kirsty, who works in children’s entertainment, reveals she’d seen the job listed on Indeed. She said: “To be honest, I was a wee bit skeptical because it was not through an agency. They were offering £500 for two days of work, so I decided to go.”

After her first video went viral on TikTok with over 1.5 million views in 24 hours, she did a story time series where she went more in-depth about her experience.

“When I turned up on Friday, I looked around and it didn’t seem like the set design was finished,” she said. She explained how there had been a random mushroom in the corner of the room, as well as candy statues scattered around.

“I was like ‘maybe they’re working through the night, maybe this will be better,” she said. “By this point, me and the other actors had signed our contracts, so basically we were stuck.”

She then expected the shock when they were given their scripts, which she said “had the most bizarre things” for them to say that according to her didn’t make sense. She also explained the shock of getting the cheap-looking costumes after the organizers had spent so much money on both the actors and by hiring special makeup artists for the day.

“Never in my life have I encountered anything like this, right?” she said. “They handed it over to us and I just kinda laughed.

“The whole thing was just, if you didn’t laugh, you’d cry. I’m even at the stage right now where if I don’t laugh, I’ll cry.

Oompa Loompa actress talks about viral photo of her

As the event started the next day, Kirsty said she tried to make the most of what she had been given as an Oompa Loompa, but that it hadn’t been enough.

“So the first run we did, it was of me and the Willy Wonka, and we went through it and we literally just tried our best and everything like that,” she explained.

She explained that the experience, from start to finish, was estimated to take 45 minutes per group, but that they’d finished theirs in just 10 minutes.

“I’m even surprised I did what I did with what I had,” Kirsty said, before saying she didn’t think the guy organizing knew anything about running a production.

“I just think he sold as many tickets as he could and then he just went ‘abandon the script, abandon the scrip’ and we’re just like how are you supposed to abandon the script?”

She then brought up the picture of herself as the Oompa Loompa, which has gone viral online. She said it was unfortunate timing and that she’d spent most of it happy and interacting with the children, but that the photo most likely was taken before she stormed off the set.

Despite the disappointing event, Kirsty said that most parents had been nice and made sure to know it wasn’t her fault, and that continued in the TikTok comments.

One person wrote: “You can totally see that you absolutely tried your best for the kids.”

“Oompa loompa doo pa dee dault, nobody believes this is your fault,” a second person said.

A third user wrote: “You guys staying to try and salvage something for the kids is just so sweet. and you have given us something to laugh about in all the doom and gloom.”