Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Wonka star club night
THE Oompa Loompa actress at the centre of the “shambolic’ Glasgow Willy Wonka Experience is heading to a Dundee nightclub.
Kirsty Paterson, 29, was snapped dressed up as a miserable-looking Oompa Loompa at the disastrous event last month.
The photo taken by Louise Dalson from Dundee, has become a viral sensation, clocking up millions of views across social media.
Louise later said she felt bad for sharing the image, which has now been used in several memes.
The event has become a global sensation for the wrong reasons, with angry customers hitting out at the lacklustre offering.
Kirsty was among several actresses and performers hired for the February 24 event by House of Illuminati at Hubbox.
The event was billed as “the place where chocolate dreams become reality”. Instead families, paid up to £35 each only to find a warehouse sparsely decorated with a rainbow and bouncy castle.
Kirsty has since given global interviews about the “complete and utter shambles”.
Nightclub owner Tony Cochrane jumped at the chance to book her for his Willy Wonka Clubbing Experience at Dundee’s Duck Slattery’s and Aura on March 27.
The “meet and greet” at the venue, also known as Fat Sam’s Live, will see Kirsty dish out free jelly beans, lime juice and Easter eggs and get photos with fans.
Tony also hopes Kirsty will meet Louise, the 28-year-old Dundonian who took the viral photo.
“It’ll be a great deal of fun and something to put on your Charlie Bucket list,” said Tony. “Kirsty will be dressed as an Oompa Loompa and she’ll have her own wee corner.
“She’ll sit at a table and dish out thimblefuls of lime juice and jelly babies.
“Fans will be able recreate the infamous moment from the Glasgow Wonka experience, with
Kirsty, aka the grumpy Oompa Loompa, looking as miserable as possible.
“The Oompa Loompa story went viral and Kirsty has been on TV shows all over the world, from Australia to the USA, and Good Morning Britain.”
Tony added: “I’m hoping to get Kirsty together with Louise, the Dundee woman who took the picture and later apologised, for a wee chat, maybe next week.”
While many photos emerged from the fiasco, it was the shot of Kirsty in costume looking slightly dead-eyed as she conducted supposed science experiments that has grabbed most attention.
Since that ill-fated day, she’s started taking bookings for shows and creating personalised video and audio messages for fans via the official Cameo Instagram page, and on her TikTok.
When not dressed as an Oompa Loompa, Kirsty works in children’s entertainment and is a fire dancer and yoga teacher.
She was roped into the Wonka event after she saw it offered £500 for two days of work.
She saw the script the night before and was shocked when encouraged to improvise.
She stayed, she says, because she didn’t want to let people down, but felt “very embarrassed”.
When Louise took the famous photo, Kirsty was in a “jellybean room”, but they ran out of jelly beans.
Organiser Billy Coull offered refunds to 850 people, but it’s not known if this has been paid yet.
Meanwhile, Dundee nightclub Captain’s Cabin plans to pay homage to the infamous Glasgow event with what it calls Willy Wonka Experience Part 2 on March 13.
Management at the Ward Road venue say their Wonka night will be a “tongue-in-cheek” tribute.
Captain’s Cabin customers will be given a single jelly baby on entry – and a free dash of blackcurrant in their vodka and lemonade.