History Theatre / WillysChocolateExperience

* VileVillainSaccharineShow: The Unknown, a figure clad in a black robe and silver mask who was "an evil chocolate maker lives in the walls", was meant to be the sinister antagonist of the otherwise-whimsical experience.

* CaptainErsatz: [[AllThereInTheScript According to the AI-generated script]], the characters aren't supposed to be the actual [[Franchise/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory Willy Wonka]] characters, but thinly-veiled, renamed substitutes; it's unclear whether these names were Coull's creation or yet another AI eccentricity. The actors didn't seem very much in the know about this, and tend to simply call their characters by their official counterparts' names in interviews. Not helping matters is that one of the AI art pieces on the website somehow features Creator/GeneWilder as Wonka from the [[Film/WillyWonkaAndTheChocolateFactory 1971 adaptation]].

* TheArtifact: In the script, The Unknown is a speaking role ("with a voice both smooth and sinister") and is presented as a cartoonish {{Pantomime}} antagonist for Willy [=McDuff=]. After the script was dropped, there was no longer any explanation for who the character was supposed to be, so The Unknown was reduced to a menacing figure in a mask and black robe who was now scaring children for absolutely no reason. [[https://youtu.be/57hyesITwH8?si=Ukq5ixFRqWda10l1 One clip]] shows Willy (as portrayed by Paul Connell) mentioning something "full of scary faces that can scare The Great Unknown", hinting that the actors came up with the idea to have the kids defeat The Unknown by making scary faces of their own.

The show made global headlines, getting frequently likened to "a Film/{{Fyre}} festival for kids", but as more details emerged, the absolute comedy of errors surrounding the show delighted social media, especially once photos and videos of the shoddy spectacle began circulating. Also, the show's [[https://willyschocolateexperience.com/index.html website]], a farrago of wild [[MediaNotes/AIGeneratedArtwork AI-generated art]] and breathless prose, was widely perused and dissected. The show's cast began granting interviews, admitting that the whole thing was just as bizarre and darkly comedic for them as participants as it was for everyone else hearing about it. The Unknown's performer, Felicia Dawkins, has since found employment at the Ride/LondonDungeon, reprising her character there no less.

* FunetikAksent: The infamous reference to "cartchy tuns" on the website seems like it's just a transcription of "catchy tunes" as spoken in a heavy Scottish burr, leading to speculation that, besides the many A.I.-generated spelling errors, there was also some faulty speech-to-text involved that had trouble parsing a [[UsefulNots/BritishAccents Glaswegian accent]].

* FunetikAksent: The infamous reference to "cartchy tuns" on the website seems like it's just a transcription of "catchy tunes" as spoken in a heavy Scottish burr, leading to speculation that, besides the many A.I.-generated spelling errors, there was also some faulty speech-to-text involved that had trouble parsing a Glaswegian accent.

* VeryFalseAdvertising: The show's webpage features incredible vistas of candy and chocolate... which are all very, very blatantly AI-generated images (complete with obvious misspellings, as AI generators aren't very good with text).

** Another flyer for the Twilight Tunnel is pretty much unintelligible, promising "'''lightng'''", "'''dim tight'''", "'''dippractions''''", "'''vivue''' sounds", "'''ungirevel'''", "'''emprety'''", "'''dimdicli'''", "'''twdrding'''", "'''dodjection'''", "'''enigemic''' sounds", "'''sviide'''", and "'''ukxepcted twits'''".

** Another flyer for the Twilight Tunnel promises lightng, dim tight, dippractions, vivue sounds, ungirevel, emprety, dimdicli, twdrding, dodjection, enigemic sounds, sviide, and ukxepcted twits.

The show made global headlines, getting frequently likened to "a Film/{{Fyre}} festival for kids", but as more details emerged, the absolute comedy of errors surrounding the show delighted social media, especially once photos and videos of the shoddy spectacle began circulating. Also, the show's [[https://willyschocolateexperience.com/index.html website]], a farrago of wild [[MediaNotes/AIGeneratedArtwork AI-generated art]] and breathless prose, was widely perused and dissected. The show's cast began granting interviews, admitting that the whole thing was just as bizarre and darkly comedic for them as participants as it was for everyone else hearing about it.

The Unknown's performer, Felicia Dawkins, has since found employment at the Ride/LondonDungeon.

** Even the superficially out-of-place Unknown, a fellow candy-maker whose endgame is to steal one of [=McDuff=]'s inventions, fits the role of Wonka's jealous business rivals like Slugworth. The Unknown "living in the walls" even resembles Slugworth's "paintings on a brick wall"-based DisneyAcidSequence rendition of "I Want it Now" in [[WesternAnimation/TomAndJerryWillyWonkaAndTheChocolateFactory the Tom and Jerry movie]].

* LovelyAssistant: The Oompa Loompa equivalents got turned into this, being played by attractive young women. Said women noted that their costumes looked more like something for a "hen party"[[note]]what in American English would be called a bachelorette party[[/note]] than for a performance for kids.

* NonIndicativeName: Despite it being named Willy's ''Chocolate'' Experience, no chocolate is involved outside of a decoration of a chocolate bar.
* PerfectlyCromulentWord: A common pitfall of generative AI artwork is that the generators struggle to spell and display letters, something that is on full display on the event's website.

* VileVillainSaccharineShow: The Unknown, a figure clad in a black robe and silver mask who "lives in the walls", was meant to be the antagonist of the otherwise whimsical experience.

** The main digital flier promises that the Experience will feature "'''encherining''' entertainment", "'''catgacating'''", "'''cartchy tuns'''", "'''exarserdray''' lollipops" and a "'''pasadise''' of sweet '''teats'''".
** Another flier for the Twilight Tunnel promises lightng, dim tight, dippractions, vivue sounds, ungirevel, emprety, dimdicli, twdrding, dodjection, enigemic sounds, sviide, and ukxepcted twits.

** Because AI generators struggle with coherent text, the website flier touts the Experience's "cartchy tuns" and "pasadise of sweet teats". It also manages the amazing feat of an ''ambiguous'' typo -- it's not clear if "performances" was wrongly rendered as "perfo'''rr'''mances" or "perfor'''n'''mances", thanks to the letters getting bunched together.

!!'''A pasadise of sweet topes!''':

-->''(The audience, now relieved and rejuvenated by the whimsical turn of events, follows Willy into the Bubble and Lemonade Room, laughter and chatter filling the air once more, as they immerse themselves in the joyous, bubbly wonderland.)''

* AudienceParticipation: The most bizarre feature of the leaked script is that it includes stage directions and even dialogue for the audience, dictating exactly how they are supposed to respond to each beat of the story. This was considered the "smoking gun" when accusations of the script being AI-generated came up.

* SurprisinglyCreepyMoment: Possibly the best-known clip from the event is of The Unknown emerging from behind a mirror, dressed in all-black robes and a creepy mask, to greet some very audibly terrified children. The character could've perhaps been fine in a different context, but the event being advertised as a wholesome family day-out, the script that would've properly given warning about The Unknown's existence being jettisoned, and the lack of separation between the performer and the families they are interacting with, makes it easy to see why it wasn't the best idea to keep them around.

* TheArtifact: In the script, The Unknown is a speaking role ("with a voice both smooth and sinister") and is presented as a cartoonish {{Pantomime}} antagonist for Willy [=McDuff=]. After the script was dropped, there was no longer any explanation for who the character was supposed to be, so The Unknown was reduced to a menacing figure in a mask and black robe who was now scaring children for absolutely no reason.

The show's website touted "an array of themed rooms like the Enchanted Garden and the Vision Room and Lemonade Gallery, each offering unique and delightful surprises. Not only will you witness the magic of chocolate, but you'll also have the chance to taste it! Prepare for a journey filled with delicious treats, enchanting adventures, and moments worth capturing." Instead, what it delivered was a few sparse dioramas spread across a grungy warehouse, decorated with rainbows, lollipops and candy canes that looked like they'd been swiped from a parade float, a "factory" consisting of a glass chemistry set on a table, loads of unintentional NightmareFuel, and "rivers of sparkling lemonade" that turned out to be a table of half-filled plastic cups of store-bought lemonade. Oh, [[NonIndicativeName and no chocolate]]; young patrons received two jelly beans each. With an atmosphere that more resembled a job fair than a luscious confectionery wonderland, it quickly devolved into chaos, with crying children and angry parents (who'd paid £35--about 45 USD--for tickets), and police were called out to investigate. Coull closed things down and refunded tickets (though the actors hired for the show were left in limbo over whether they'd get paid the £500 they were promised).

The show's website touted "an array of themed rooms like the Enchanted Garden and the Vision Room and Lemonade Gallery, each offering unique and delightful surprises. Not only will you witness the magic of chocolate, but you'll also have the chance to taste it! Prepare for a journey filled with delicious treats, enchanting adventures, and moments worth capturing." Instead, what it delivered was a few sparse dioramas spread across a grungy warehouse, decorated with rainbows, lollipops and candy canes that looked like they'd been swiped from a parade float, a "factory" consisting of a glass chemistry set on a table, loads of unintentional NightmareFuel, and "rivers of sparkling lemonade" that turned out to be a table of half-filled plastic cups of store-bought lemonade. Oh, [[NonIndicativeName and no chocolate]]; patrons received a single jellybean. With an atmosphere that more resembled a job fair than a luscious confectionery wonderland, it quickly devolved into chaos, with crying children and angry parents (who'd paid £35--about 45 USD--for tickets), and police were called out to investigate. Coull closed things down and refunded tickets (though the actors hired for the show were left in limbo over whether they'd get paid the £500 they were promised).

* PerfectlyCromulentWord: A common pitfall of generative AI artwork is that they struggle to spell and display letters, something that is on full display on the event's website.

** The website flier touts the Experience's "cartchy tuns" and "pasadise of sweet teats". It also manages the amazing feat of an ''ambiguous'' typo -- it's not clear if "performances" was wrongly rendered as "perfo'''rr'''mances" or "perfor'''n'''mances", thanks to the letters getting bunched together.

''Willy's Chocolate Experience'' was an [[SarcasmMode "immersive"]] all-ages theater event staged at the Box Hub Warehouse in UsefulNotes/{{Glasgow}} in February of 2024. Created and assembled by Billy Coull via his company House of Illuminati, it was inspired (to use that word ''very'' generously) by ''Franchise/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory'' (likely to cash in on the success of ''Film/{{Wonka}}''), but had a rather troubled production that quickly became the subject of news stories and massive MemeticMutation.

* FunetikAksent: The infamous reference to "cartchy tuns" on the website seems like it's just a transcription of "catchy tunes" as spoken in a Scottish burr, leading to speculation that, besides the many A.I.-generated spelling errors, there was also some faulty speech-to-text involved that had trouble parsing a Glaswegian accent.

** Even the superficially out-of-place Unknown, a fellow candy-maker whose endgame is to steal one of [=McDuff=]'s inventions, fits the role of Wonka's jealous business rivals like Slugworth. The Unknown "living in the walls" even resembles Slugworth's "paintings on a brick wall"-based DisneyAcidTrip rendition of "I Want it Now" in [[WesternAnimation/TomAndJerryWillyWonkaAndTheChocolateFactory the Tom and Jerry movie]].

** Even the superficially out-of-place Unknown, a fellow candy-maker whose endgame is to steal one of [=McDuff=]'s inventions, fits the role of Wonka's jealous business rivals like Slugworth.

* NoNameGiven: A truly wild example with the show's villain.
-->'''Willy [=McDuff=]''': My dear adventurers, we stand on the precipice of a discovery most wondrous and perilous. For within these ancient walls lurks a tale not yet told, of an evil chocolate maker known only as the Unknown.

* AudienceParticipation: The most bizarre feature of the leaked script is that it includes stage directions for the audience, dictating exactly how they are supposed to respond to each beat of the story. This was considered the "smoking gun" when accusations of the script being AI-generated came up.