The Pop Culture That’s Keeping Rhys Nicholson Busy

The comedian, writer and actor will present their new show, Huge Big Party Congratulations, in major cities from March. Here’s what keeps them occupied.

The last movie I saw…

Oppenheimer was pretty wild. When I left after three hours, I was not in the greatest mood! But it was one of those movies where you can appreciate the real people behind the characters. Emily Blunt really stood out as Oppenheimer’s wife, Kitty, who was also a scientist. I’m fascinated by complicated women and Kitty seemed tough on the outside but underneath, you could tell she clearly wasn’t.

The last book I read…

My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh. It’s a fictional story about another complicated woman. In this case, a New Yorker who attempts to sleep for a year. The writing is so sharp, it’s almost cruel and you end up feeling uncomfortable reading it. I’ve just written a book, Dish, and it was my publisher who recommended I read it. Sometimes when someone gives you a book that they think you’ll like, you read it and think, “Is this what you think of me?” but in this case, he was bang on.

The podcast I listen to..

I listen to so many podcasts but one of my favourites is Off Menu, where people talk about their dream meal or dream restaurant. The conversation always spins off in different directions and ends up revealing a lot more about the person than just what food they like. I really enjoyed the one with [actor] Florence Pugh.

The TV show I’ve been bingeing…

My husband [comedian Kyran Nicholson] wasn’t allowed to watch The Simpsons when he was growing up so I’m introducing him to it now. It’s so funny to think that, back then, people thought it was the end of society but compared to TV today, it’s really tame – smart, witty but tame.

My favourite app…

Instagram. I love chefs like Claire Saffitz, Alice Zaslavsky and Khanh Ong. They aren’t just posting pics of impossible-torecreate food porn but genuinely seem to be trying to help us make better stuff at home. I’m also into drag queens. I recently had my bucks party at Mary’s Poppin [a queer bar in Adelaide] and became obsessed with the queens there. Kane Enable, Wundes, Elle Delight – 10s across the board!