★ ★ ★ ★
Abby Howells’ storytelling is as unique and funny as she is. Beginning with an immediate detour into the details of a Medieval painting, (namely one where Henry VIII asked for his then wife to be erased from it) Howells cleverly sets the theme for the hour. She appears naive, almost cautious at first, detailing whimsical tales of school auditions and a love of musical theatre. But Howells is doing something very clever. She keeps coming back to her special interests (which we fellow autistics know about all to well). Detailing the lives of funny women, such as silent film-star Mabel Normand who directed Chaplin, and who he got fired, seemingly out of jealousy.
Howells is autistic, and she puts that front and centre in her storytelling, it isn’t about that, but she is open and it’s great to see, giving us autistic audience members a deeper connection that neurotypicals will miss.
Howells examples of male comedians threatened by women being funny, really hit home, it is a sickness of male ego that is all too pervasive (even at the fringe in 2022). She details Joan Rivers who was ruined by Johnny Carson and links it to her own burgeoning stand-up career in New Zealand, where her comic boyfriend refused a car-ride after she brought the house down following his set.
The shocking denouement of HarleQueen is something we won’t spoil, but it should come with a warning. It makes this hour of storytelling an important and essential one. We are glad Abby Howells is back doing her comedy, in her own inimitable style. We loved her surreal charm, purposefully bad ventriloquism and unabashed need to break into a dance from Cats. This isn’t tight stand-up, it’s clever funny storytelling, and we are grateful for it in a over-bloated fringe of samey comedians.
HarleQueen Underbelly, George Square – The Wee Coo 17:50 (1hr) Aug 9-14, 16-29 £11/10 16+
