Discover Benelux | Amsterdam Highlights | Canal District
Scary… in a fun way Why would you voluntarily get locked up in a creepy room? Is getting scared for fun a thing these days? It is, according to the guys from Zombie Escape Amsterdam. And guess what? It is a huge success! The name explains it all: Zombie Escape. Which is exactly what you are doing, although those escape rooms are pretty secretive. “The story is that we are researching genetic modification and something goes wrong. It is a very cinematic atmosphere,” explains Sergio Rahman, who started Zombie Escape
TEXT: XANDRA BOERSMA | PHOTOS: ZOMBIE ESCAPE
Amsterdam with Sebastiaan van Driessel and three other guys. They are the brains behind the story. So you will feel like you have suddenly ended up in a thrilling movie, right? “It goes like this,” Sebastiaan explains. “A group of people will be locked in a room and can only escape by solving puzzles together.” The together part being very important since you cannot solve any of them on your own, which makes it the perfect team building exercise. “The goal is to escape within the hour. The fastest teams get a place on our scoreboard.”
Nobody knows what will happen when they are inside the room, which only adds to the excitement. “We have a complete storyline and lots of special effects. We don’t want to tell too much of course,” Sergio laughs. “But neighbours have knocked on the door because of the screaming.” So if you want an exciting break during your time discovering Amsterdam, this is definitely where you need to be.
www.zombie-escape.nl
A springboard for comedy stardom TEXT: ANNA VILLELEGER
US talk show host Seth Meyers and Hollywood actor Jason Sudeikis are just two of the comic heavyweights to have begun their careers at Boom Chicago, Amsterdam’s English language comedy club. “More than half of our alumni are doing something big,” declares American co-founder Andrew Moskos. Now an Amsterdam comedy institution, Boom Chicago was born in 1993 - the brainchild of Moskos and his childhood friend Pep Rosenfeld. Currently showing is Best of Boom 2016 - a selection of the best sketches, improvisations and music from the comedy club’s history. Also showing is Angry White Men: Trump up the Volume - a political comedy about the ongoing US presidential race. “Donald Trump’s candidacy is bad for the world, but good for comedians,” Moskos half-laughs. Boom Chicago is found in the heart of Amsterdam’s Jordaan district, with the large theatre area seating 350 people. There is 30 | Issue 31 | July 2016
also the popular Bar 117 for drinks, and it is possible to have a pre-show dinner in the stained glass lounge. Boom Chicago may be renowned for its comedy nights, but it also creates great content and offers communication and strategy coaching for businesses in the form of Boom Chicago Creative. Companies to have worked with Boom Chicago Creative include Accenture, Philips and Heineken. “People see comedy as a tool to communicate,” says Moskos, explaining how his work is helping firms with tasks such as speech writing or hosting events. “We assist companies in naming the ‘elephant in the room’ in a lighter way.” The service began around ten years ago, with Moskos remarking a real shift in the relationship between comedy and the workplace: “Even traditionally stuffy companies are now using comedy as a way to get their message across.” www.boomchicago.nl
Photo: Mallory Sohmer Owners Andrew Moskos (L) and Pep Rosenfeld conducting a workshop at Philips.
Photo: Dave Pelham
Photo: Mallory Sohmer