Review: Abby Howells - Welcome To My Dream at Melbourne Town Hall

Review by Benjamin Lamb

Perhaps best known for her hilarious spot on Taskmaster NZ Season 5, or one of few viral standup videos, it’s clear Abby Howells is a comedic force. Abby’s show opens with the song of the same name, ‘Welcome To My Dream’, by Tiny Tim, a song sung in falsetto by a tall man with a ukulele, as Abby points out. It’s a strange song, but the perfect entrance track for the hour of comedy we got from Abby.

One of the hardest things in comedy is the balance between the emotional and the funny. Some comedians lean to much into the sad, and you can leave their set feeling a little bit unfulfilled. But Abby manages the perfect balance between it all. Her effortless charm draws you in alongside an emotional story about something like a breakup, then hits you with a punchline that’ll have you barrelled over with laughter.

She tells us tales of a few feuds she’s in — one with NZ business Puzzle World, and one with a few members of her old improv troupe. Both spaces are rife with a lot of humour, and return at points throughout the show, Abby’s a master at the callback. There’s also a few tales of her time catching the bus — something she does a lot, as she points out.

A highlight came with a long story about the struggles of trying to buy a house in New Zealand, and how there’s only one really specific way she’ll end up owning a house, then proceeded to detail the plot to Charlie and The Chocolate Factory. A hilarious story and subversion of expectations in only a way Abby knows how. Abby’s also a pro at the random one liner, in between stories, or to help move them along, we’ll get an out of the blue joke that’ll be like the cherry on top. While there’s many that I won’t spoil, a favourite is the mention of her one wet hand.

Closing out with a heartfelt story about meeting her current partner, it’s a warm end to a fun show. There’s one thing that’s clear about Abby Howells’ Welcome To My Dream, she’s a pro at what she does, and it’s a special time inside her mind. It’s a must see show this festival, Abby really does leave it all out there on the Melbourne Town Hall stage.