"Walking into Te Whare o Rukutia for Abby Howells’ Dreamer, it feels less like we’re entering a theatre, and more like we’re being invited into someone’s home—an impression that is facilitated in no small part by the complementary wine and cheese we are offered. Howells’ reputation precedes her: there is a buzz of excitement among the crowd, all of us aware that this is the first performance of the Billy T nominee’s new solo show, following the success of HarleQueen...."
"Dreamer is purportedly about finishing and presenting La Soupco, but in reality, it is much more than that. It is an attempt to reconcile the past with the present, contrasting the dreams we have as children with the reality of the world that we grow into as adults. Couched in Howells’ signature light humour, which keeps us laughing through even the show’s more serious moments, it is also an exploration of the loneliness that comes with being an undiagnosed autistic kid who just wants to be part of the world that everyone else seems to inhabit with such ease. I cannot speak to the experience of a neurotypical audience member, but from one late-diagnosed autistic person to another: thank you for telling these stories and inviting us, as you put it, into your cave."