Comedy is a wonderful way through dark times, and sometimes the only way to remove the doom from doomscrolling is to make sure you’re following people who are funny. Sure, we need to know what’s happening in the world, and we need beautiful things and wise things. But god, we all need the mental break of a really good laugh, too.
Instagram is my platform of endless scrolling, and I have carefully curated my feed (despite what the Meta Monster tries to tell me to do) so that it is full of a range of things that make my heart sing as well as the unavoidable Important Issues we need to know about.
So, from my careful curation, here are six comedians I recommend adding to your Instagram follow list to make the sun come out from behind the clouds once in a while, even just in 60-second bursts.
Sarah Keyworth
A lot of Sarah Keyworth’s Instagram content is one of the things they do best: crowd work. They are quick and somehow relentlessly funny no matter what a stranger in the audience throws at them.
Daniel Foxx
Daniel Foxx is relatively new to my life, but his Instagram Reels are up there with the best. Whether he’s mocking the way parents boast about allegedly precocious children or just capturing silliness in everyday life, Foxx is well worth following for refreshingly new ideas in comedy.
Kitty Flanagan
I only became familiar with Kitty Flanagan’s work through my instant adoration of sitcom Fisk, but soon looked up what else she is up to. Already a huge star in Australia, Flanagan’s stand-up comedy is perfectly delivered and always raises a smile.
Melanie Bracewell
New Zealand comic Melanie Bracewell is somebody I mostly know from Instagram, though she has also appeared on the brilliant QI too. Her feed is full of clips of her on a topical news comedy show, and her stand-up, both of which are silly and fun.
Rachel Parris
British comedian Rachel Parris is a delight who uses what could be mistakenly conceived as a very sweet exterior to deliver incisive and sometimes shockingly funny lines. Whether she’s gadding about in Jane Austen times or singing on stage, Parris is varied, hilarious, and thoughtful.
Jessica Fostekew
Jess Fostekew is a comedian I have seen live and she is an absolute powerhouse on stage. She manages a crowd beautifully and her years of experience in the business really show. Her comedy is mischievous and persuasive all at the same time.
Images: Philippa Willitts (Sarah Keyworth), Kevin Payravi, Wikimedia Commons (Melanie Bracewell), DiEM25 (Rachel Parris), Jennifer 8. Lee (Jessica Fostekew), Tangerineduel (Kitty Flanagan)
