Rest and Respite
Dr Oli Double - Reader in Comic and Popular Performance
Kyrah Gray in Dating Horror Stories (Comedy Central)
Comedy Central's Dating Horror Stories is a sketch show starring stand-up comedian Kyrah Gray. Kyrah started her stand-up career as part of her Drama degree at the University of Kent. Dating Horror Stories is her latest stop on the path to fame and it's hilarious. A bit ruse, too - careful who you watch it with!
Stewart Lee in Basic Lee (Apple+ TV)
Many comics name Stewart Lee as one of the all-time greats of stand-up comedy. His latest special, Basic Lee, features his trademark blend of mind-bending metareference and plain silliness. It's so clever yet so easy to follow the twists and turns of his comic logic as he teases his audience all the way around the twists and turns of his extraordinary act.
Short Cuts with Josie Long (BBC iPlayer)
As well as being a life enhancing comedian, Josie Long presents Radio 4's Short Cuts, a calmly fascinating collection of short audio documentaries. There are well over 200 episodes available, and I'd particularly recommend the Christmas specials.
A History of Comedy in Several Objects (most podcast platforms)
The University of Kent is the home to the British Stand-Up Comedy Archive, a unique collection of historical artefacts which document the history of stand-up over the last half century. Each episode of this podcast features one artefact, exploring just what it can tell us about how stand-up has evolved in the UK.
Professor John Wills – Professor of American Media and Culture
Until Dawn video game (2024, PS5 and PC)
I teach a game studies module and we look at a range of titles, everything from the original Pong and Pac-Man through to Grand Theft Auto V and Super Smash Bros. One personal favourite with a very filmic feel is Until Dawn, a video game recreation of a classic slasher movie set in the woods where slowly everyone is picked off, think Texas Chainsaw Massacre or The Cabin in the Woods. The game originally came out in 2015 for the PS4, but this year was remade and looks spectacular.
Forest iPhone app (2020+ stable release)
This ‘stay focused’ app was first developed in the late 2010s, but it still functions great. It works by setting a timer on your phone through the app, and virtual trees growing while you stay focused on whatever task you have. If you return to your phone early, the tree dies. If you return, say an hour later, you find a charming new tree or two (and this even translates into forest planting in the real world). If you’re one of those people who uses their phone too much or find studies difficult, this is a great app to discourage habitual phone checking and doom-scrolling.
All That Heaven Allows film (1955)
A classic Hollywood picture that I show on an MA module in Film Studies. Directed by Douglas Sirk, the film provides a subtle satire of life in the suburbs of 1950’s America, with Jane Wyman as a looking-for-love widow and Rock Hudson as a gardener obsessed with ‘silver-tipped spruce.’ It is a slow and relaxed movie, beautifully shot in Technicolor, full of neat visual touches.
Dr Margherita Laera – Senior Lecturer in Drama and Theatre
Wicked
Watch the new film Wicked (2024), ideally after reading the novel by Gregory Maguire, catching the stage musical in the West End, and watching the film The Wizard of Oz (1939). What differences can you spot? How has the story changed throughout the years and in different media?
The Guilty Feminist Podcast
Never fails to entertain and offer food for thought. It features extended conversations with many stand-up comedians and actors working in theatre and film.
The Disability And… Podcast by Graeae
A brilliant monthly podcast by one of the leading UK disable-led theatre companies
Student picks
These are some of films, shows and podcasts our students say help them switch off, escape the stress or just get through the day.
Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones follows the conflict between nine noble families as they battle for control of the Iron Throne in the lands of Westeros, while facing threats from within and beyond their borders. If you’re looking for something that will have your jaw on the floor for the duration of the series, this is the show for you!
Severance
Severance is a science fiction psychological thriller series that follows employees at the biotechnology corporation Lumon Industries who have undergone "severance" - a medical procedure that ensures they retain no memories of the outside world while at work, and have no recollection of their job once they leave. This results in two distinct personalities for each employee: the "innie", who exists solely within Lumon, and the "outie", who lives their personal life outside of work.
Off Menu with Ed Gamble and James Acaster
A comedy podcast, hosted by Ed Gamble and James Acaster, where celebrity guests reveal their dream meal in their ‘magical restaurant’, sparking amusing food-related chats.
1917
Hard-hitting, immersive, and an impressive technical achievement, 1917 captures the trench warfare of World War I with raw, startling immediacy. - Rotten Tomatoes
We Need to Talk with Paul C. Brunson
A thought-provoking podcast that brings together practical experiences and theoretical insights to help you understand and strengthen the relationships that matter most—whether they’re personal, professional, or even the one you have with yourself.