A pantomime performance in Glasgow has been met with a furious backlash, with disgruntled audience members comparing it to the infamous 'Willy Wonka Experience' and leaving the show early.
Families Demand Refunds After 'Shambolic' Show
The production, 'The Wicked Wizard of Oz: Cirque Spectacular', took place at the city's OVO Hydro arena on Saturday, 27 December 2025. It was billed by World’s Biggest Productions as a 'brand-new, breath-taking, Cirque staging' that combined panto with circus elements. However, attendees have described it as 'inappropriate, overpriced and falsely advertised'.
One mother-of-two, Carol-Ann Henderson, labelled the event a 'shambles', stating it had been 'completely mis-sold'. She added, 'If I said it was an amateur production that would be a lie, I've seen better school shows.' Another parent, who paid £297 for a family of five, claimed the show surpassed the disappointment of the 2024 Willy's Chocolate Experience, calling it an 'embarrassing performance'.
Social Media Storm and Rapid Walkouts
Anger quickly spread online, with a dedicated Facebook group titled 'The Woeful Wicked Wizard of Oz - A Not-So Cirque Spectacular' amassing over 1,500 members. The group features complaints from spectators at venues across the UK, including the Brighton Centre on 16 December.
Posts from the Glasgow show reveal the scale of the discontent. Dawn Page wrote on Saturday that she had 'just walked out', describing the performance as 'absolutely shocking'. Another attendee noted they had 'never seen the Hydro empty so fast', criticising the show's lack of storyline, poor sound quality, and questionable props like a witch on a bike strapped to a golf cart.
Production Company Defends 'Panto Meets Cirque' Show
In response to earlier criticism following a Manchester Evening News report, a spokesperson for World’s Biggest Productions defended the production. They stated that the show had opened in Blackpool in October to a 'fantastic response' and that promotional videos accurately featured acts from the performance.
The spokesperson argued that the descriptor 'cirque spectacular' was in smaller typeface, reasonably indicating circus elements within a panto format. They highlighted that six cast members had won silver medals at European circus festivals and stressed it was not a Cirque du Soleil production, noting the significant price difference. The company concluded that over 150,000 people attend their shows annually, suggesting dissatisfied customers represented a tiny minority.
The Mirror has contacted World’s Biggest Productions for further comment on the Glasgow incidents.
