While in varying lockdowns around the country we’ve been turning to our screens for comfort, burning through the pages of books and blasting our favourite tunes to get us through these “unprecedented” times. Comedians are in the same boat, with very few opportunities to do what they do best – stand on a stage and make you laugh! If you feel like you’ve come to the end of your lockdown list, check out these suggestions.

Nikki Britton & Sam Taunton

WHAT ARE YOU WATCHING?

Nikki:

Glad you asked.

THE FAREWELL is such a great film! THE GREAT on Stan is the best kind of bonkers. I watched CASABLANCA for the first time ever and I don’t usually like a black and white movie, but what a fool I’ve been! This is delish! Mindy Kaling’s NEVER HAVE I EVER on Netflix is delightful. SCHITTS CREEK Schitts Creek Schitts Creek Schitts Creek. YEARS AND YEARS on SBS On Demand is heavy, but brilliant and I would give Emma Thompson a kidney if she asked, so…

Sam:

LITTLE ITALY

My housemate and I watched this movie after scrolling through Netflix for 45 mins trying to find something we hadn’t seen. It has a 13% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, funded by Screen Canada and stars Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) doing an incredibly bad New York accent and confirming what we all knew: he truly is the worst actor alive.

LONG STRANGE TRIP

This is a doco series about The Grateful Dead and it’s so good! It goes into detail about Dead Heads, the counter cultural movement surrounding the band, and the inception of the band all the way to Jerry Garcia’s death from eating too much McDonalds (lol it was definitely the heroin that killed him). Can’t recommend enough!

HOW ABOUT PLEASURES JUST FOR THE EARS?

Nikki:

ZOO by Connie Shi. She speaks for so many of us in this gentle little rumination. BUT maybe limit yourself to 3 plays per day mates, yeah? Promise? Self-care is key atm. It’s good to feel seen, but it’s a slippery slope.

When you’ve scooped yourself off the floor after that humdinger, chuck on ONCE BITTEN on ABC Presents, or wherever you get your podcasts, for a big ole’ laff. (I feel like I’ve set up a dynamic where I am tormentor and saviour with these last two paragraphs, so I’ll talk to someone about that but still, do give them a crack).

And obviously, OH HELLO: THE P’DCAST. But I’m sure you’re already across that.

Sam:

DUSTY IN MEMPHIS by Dusty Springfield

One of the best records of all time. Sometimes I sing and play guitar very loudly to ‘Son Of A Preacher Man’ and my neighbour doesn’t like it and bangs angrily on my wall. I think that’s why he does all that early morning whipper snipping. We do not like each other.

JULIA JACKLIN 

Julia is the best Australian artist of the last 10 years and that’s a fact no one can deny. Her two studio records are constantly in my top played lists on Spotify. Once I sat next to her in the Virgin Lounge (an airline that used to exist) and after 25 minutes built up the courage to talk to her. This was the conversation:

Sam: Hi! I just wanted to say I looooove your music!

Julia: Thanks! *boarding call for her flight*

Sam: …..

Julia: *Julia leaves the lounge*

That’s the only time we’ve met.

WHAT ARE YOU READING?

Nikki:

I’ll be honest, like most things since March, I have failed to see many books through to completion. But, I can tell you what not to read: Do not read your 5 year plan from 2015/16. If it’s anything like mine, there’s some gaping chasms between the achievement of dreams and your current position, and fuck all time to do anything about it before the end of 2020. Let that go. And definitely burn anything that might remind you of where you might have been, or what you might have been doing had that bat not had such a nasty cold in December. Best to limit the “if only” at this point.

But do read PHOSPHORESCENCE BY JULIA BAIRD. (Yeah, Mike Baird’s sister! Weird.) The blurb on the back seems very hopeful. I can’t promise it ends well as I have not read much past the first chapter but there is some truly lovely imagery so far.

Also, do read this article. 

Ignore the bits that don’t apply or appeal, but I hope it conveys the feeling that without you, the audience, there is no me, the performer. I will never take for granted the magic created when we assemble. For now we wait, but hopefully not too much longer, until our being together can make us, us again. Smooches to you all.

Sam:

EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT LOVE by Dolly Alderton

Like most people at the moment I’m in a deep personal crisis so have been reading self-help books aimed at millennial women.

Everything I Know About Love is a quick/blog-like read that teaches you little-to-nothing about love but makes you deeply concerned for sweet Dolly due to the sheer volume of stories involving pubs and bottles of wine.

THE PSYCHOPATH TEST by Jon Ronson

I hadn’t read this in years but I thought I’d crack it back open as I’m midst of a fight with my neighbour who keeps using his whipper sniper at 7:30am (which to me is TEXTBOOK psychopath behaviour). Unfortunately, Jon Ronson has very little advice for domestic disputes.

ENJOY THESE RECOMMENDATIONS AND WE HOPE TO SEE YOU IN AN AUDIENCE SOMETIME SOON!