According to comedian Bogra Gedik, it’s a blessing in disguise that Tomler is moving. “There’s something wrong with this location,” he says. “It’s a very dead area in the area. Very boring. People walk out the door and think, ‘I’ll take the public transport bike back to Schoppekotteveen.’” But he also thinks it’s a bit of a shame. “We’re in the lion’s den here, Oud-Zuid. Here we can kick the system a bit.”

Gedik belongs to a regular comedy company that regularly tests their jokes in the basement for an audience. However, Tomler is also a place for new talent. “What makes it unique is that you never know in advance who will perform,” says director Jepke van de Laar.

Van de Laar has been looking for a new location since February, so far without success. “It’s still exciting,” she says. “It’s hard for everyone, including 60 comedians, to go through a house search.” Van de Laar hopes to get a bigger location than the current one, but still wants to maintain the same atmosphere. “It doesn’t have to be a basement again, but the ceilings are low,” she says. “We want to keep the small club feel.”

fast

It will be another year and a half before the Hilton can be renovated, but Van de Laar is in a hurry. “If we find something, we’ll probably have to renovate it, too,” she says. “So it’ll take about eight months.”

Toomler will not close immediately, and there will be a special summer program in July. The cellar will remain open until a new location is found.