Abby Howells - The Cave

As soon as I heard the instrumental from Jesus Christ Superstar welcoming Abby Howells onto the stage, I knew I was in for a ride. The Cave is delightfully unhinged and packed with curveballs, as Abby regales us with rants and anecdotes (and a thought experiment) with earnest conviction.

Inspired by 'Part of Your World' fromThe Little Mermaid, The Cave is structured around a tour of her childhood bedroom back in Dunedin — her metaphorical cave. Along the way, Abby endears herself to the audience with ease, keeping the room in the highest of spirits throughout. I find Abby's ability to deliver 'cringe' humour truly entertaining, and it's paired here with fabulous material about manatees and Henry VIII's wives. 

Like Arial in her cave, The Cave touches on the desire to fit in. Unlike Arial, Abby thinks: why not let people into her cave? And I'm very glad she did.The Cave struck a chord with me, thanks to the simple metaphor at its core. It's also really funny. 

The Cave is on at 6pm at Melbourne Town Hall (Powder Room) until April 19. Sunday show at 5pm.