Page 15 - Issue 2 2019 Cornwall Hill

leisure maTTers

brainWaves escape

rooms in cenTurion

By Nicole Zwewick Photograph by Ivan Muller

ll good and well to write an Brainwaves have 6 escape rooms, each
article about Escape Rooms. accommodating between 2 to 8 players,
But what exactly, I wondered, 14 years and older, across 2 categories:
aare Escape Rooms? Some suspense rooms – Cabin in the Woods,
kind of new craze for garden-sized post- Saving Sherlock, and The Abandoned
apocalyptic bunkers? A padded room that Theatre – and adventure rooms – Race to
you voluntarily, and solitarily, escape to in the Sacred Jewel, The Fast and the Curious,
order to de-stress? I turned to trusty old and Around the World in 60 Minutes. My
Google. Boy, was I wrong about Escape teammate and I chose Cabin in the Woods
Rooms! for our experience. After the briefing by

Noma, we were led blindfolded into the
I learnt that Escape Rooms are real-life room and were given our mission. Upon a
adventures where teams are “locked” into signal we removed our blindfolds and the
themed rooms for 60 minutes to find clues game (and the clock!) began. The room

and solve puzzles in order to beat the is fantastically well decorated to theme
clock and escape the room. The concept with intriguing items all about: some red
of Escape Rooms was a progression from herrings, some real clues. The game master
adventure video games with goal-oriented provides guidance, where needed, through
plot lines where players interacted with a screen and walkie talkie so that the game
their surrounding by clicking on objects, flows. Being our first Escape Room, let me

finding hidden elements and solving tell you, we needed those clues. Never
puzzles. The first Escape Rooms were have 60 minutes flown by so fast. At the

created in Japan in 2007 before spreading end of our time we gathered the clues,
to China, the rest of Asia and Europe. By made it through the puzzles and – with a
2014 Escape Rooms had landed in the surprise twist in the plot- made it to the
USA and proved to be hugely popular, door to escape. The satisfaction and the
growing to around 2350 Escape Room sense of achievement as we came out was
facilities in just 5 years. In South Africa, intoxicating!
we currently have around 15 – 17 Escape
Rooms. Just recently, thanks to Cornwall Natalie and I had spoken earlier that
Hill sisters Natalie and Andrea Padayachee, Escape Rooms are for everyone. We
Centurion got its first Escape Room facility: spoke of corporate teams refining their

Brainwaves Escape Rooms. team dynamics, families honing their
communication skills, and friends in groups
I met up with Natalie and her assistant discovering themself and each other. We

Noma at their facility in the Lords Office talked of how Escape Rooms assist in the
Estate on West Street, Centurion, to development of soft skills in people as they
learn more. After matriculating from learn to solve problems not created by
Cornwall Hill College, Natalie went on to themselves, in creative ways. All this is true,
study Dramatic Arts at the University of and I can see the application to all these
Pretoria before going to work for a large groups. But once you have experienced a
corporate company in the marketing and Brainwaves Escape Room for yourself, you
events department. After the birth of her get exactly what Brainwaves promises: “We
daughter, wanting a more flexible work guarantee you and your family, friends or

schedule, she left corporate employ and colleagues a mind-boggling, heart-racing,
with her business partner, sister Andrea, problem-solving, immersive experience,
and the help of their family, started from start to stop. Trust us, coming back
the year long planning and building of for more will be your next brainwave.” And
Brainwaves Escape Rooms, which opened trust ME, you will be back for more. Escape
in November 2019. Rooms are addictive fun!

brainWaves escape rooms
Lords Office Estate, 276 West Avenue, Centurion

For opening times, bookings and rates visit www.brainwavesescape.com or
follow them on Facebook and Instagram @brainwavesescape

Cornwall View • Issue 2 2020 15