Abby Howells

★★★★★ The Age, 2025 (The Age)
★★★★ 1/2 Arts Hub, 2025 (Arts Hub)
“An hour that’s insightful, disarming and full of laugh-out-loud surprises. Howells’ style is endearing and engaging, underpinned with just the right amount of menace.” Squirrel Comedy, 2025

Taranaki Arts Festival

2024 Best Foods Comedy Gala

The Project NZ

HarleQueen Trailer

On Tour!

An overnight success ten years in the making, Abby Howells has captivated audiences in New Zealand, Australia and the UK with her distinctive stand-up shows and stand out TV appearances.

Her live shows are disarming, surprising and laugh out loud funny, earning her the Billy T Award in 2021 and a nomination for a Fred Award for best show at the 2025 New Zealand Comedy Festival. This momentum has sold-out seasons across Australia and New Zealand as well as at the Edinburgh Fringe.

Abby stole the show as a contestant on the fifth season of Taskmaster New Zealand and managed to appear on both the Australian and New Zealand versions of Guy Montgomery’s Guy Mont Spelling Bee. In 2025 Abby was invited to be the co-head writer on ‘Spelling Bee NZ’ – the OG Bee.

A theatre maker, screenwriter, bona fide doctor (not the stethoscope type) and comedy’s pre-eminent Titanic expert, Abby is a very busy creative polymath.

Abby has recorded roles on two new, yet to be announced, TV series and has a series of her own in development, all while preparing for her 2025 festival show “The Cave” which will play nationally in Australia and New Zealand, including seasons at the Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and New Zealand comedy festivals and a return to the Adelaide Fringe.

“I’m just a weirdo doing weird and funny jokes, and people like it! They really feel it. I’ve had so much heartening feedback from people who felt seen and heard by my story, from so many different industries – it’s the shared experience of finding your place in the world you love.”

Television
TV Writing
Live Shows
Awards
Theatre
Theatre Writing
Other Live Work
Film
Radio
Podcasts

2025: ABC TV – Guy Montgomery’s Guy Mont Spelling Bee (Guest)

2024: Taskmaster (TVNZ) – Taskmaster

2024: Three (NZ) – 7 Days (Regular Guest Panellist)

2023: Three (NZ) – The Project (Guest)

2023: Three (NZ) – 7 Days (Regular Guest Panellist)

2023: Three (NZ) – Guy Montgomery’s Guy Mont-Spelling Bee (Guest)

2023: Three (NZ) – Last Laughs (Stand-Up)

2022: Three (NZ) – Comedians Giving Lectures (Guest)

2023: TVNZ (NZ) – Shortland Street (TV Series), Role of ‘Daisy Liddle’

2025: ABC TV – Guy Montgomery’s Guy Mont Spelling Bee (Writer)

2024: Three (NZ) – 7 Days (Writer)

2022: TVNZ (NZ) – Kid-Sister (Joke Writer)

2025: Welcome To My Dream – Solo Show
Performed at 2024 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, 2023 NZ International Comedy Festival

2024: The Improfessionals – Abby Howells and Angella Dravid Performed at 2024 New Zealand (NZ) International Comedy Festival

2023-4: LaSoupCo – Solo Show
Performed at 2024 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, 2023 NZ International Comedy Festival

2019-22: HarleQueen – Solo Show
Performed at 2022 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, 2021 NZ International Comedy Festival, 2020 Adelaide Fringe Festival, 2019 NZ Fringe Festival.

2014-5: Glocknid: Dwarf Warrior – Solo Show Performed at NZ International Comedy Festival

2023: Winner – Billy T Award, New Zealand International Comedy Festival, for La SoupCo

2021: Winner – Director’s Award, New Zealand International Comedy Festival, for HarleQueen

2021: Nominee – Best New NZ Play of the Year, Wellington Theatre Awards, for White Men

2020: Winner – Emerging Artist, Adelaide Fringe, with HarleQueen

2020: Winner – Best Comedy – Adelaide Fringe, Weekly Award Week Four

2019: Winner – Peter Harcourt New Playwright of the Year, Wellington Theatre Awards

2019: Winner – Adelaide Tour Ready Award, New Zealand Fringe Festival

2019: Commended – Green Light List, New Zealand Fringe Festival

2017: Winner – Plays For the Young: Teenagers Section, Playmarkets Annual Awards, for Attila the Hun

2016: Winner – Best Newcomer, New Zealand International Comedy Festival

2015: Winner – People’s Choice Award, and Judges Choice Award, Auckland Festival for Crossbow Cat

2012: Winner – Best Comedy Award, Dunedin Fringe Festival

2019: The Bald Soprano, Arcade Theatre Company (Dir: Alex Wilson) – Performed ‘Mrs Smith’

2018: Fold, Arcade Theatre Company (Dir: Alex Wilson) – Performed ‘Karen’

2017: My Dad’s Boy, Fortune Theatre (Dir: Anya Tate-Manning) – Performed ‘Caitlin’

2017: Improsaurus, Fortune Theatre – Performed as ‘Improvisor’

2015-16: Beards Beards Beards, Trick of the Light Theatre Company (Dir: Hannah Smith) – Performed ‘Beatrix’, Circa Theatre (Wellington), Nelson Arts Festivals, Hawkes Bay, Salisbury, Edinburgh Fringe Festival

2014: Benedict Cumberbatch Must Die, BATS Theatre, Dunedin Fringe Festival (Dir: Caitlin McNaughton) – Performed ‘Genevieve’

2018-24: White Men (Play) –Creator/Writer
Performances by Cue Go at University of Otago, Dunedin and Dunedin Fringe Festival (2024), Red Scare Theatre Co at BATS Theatre, Wellington (2018)

2017-18: Attila the Hun (Play) – Creator/Writer
Performed at 2017 Young and Hungry Festival (NZ), 2018 Dunedin Arts Festival (NZ)

2015: 28 Days: A Period Piece (Musical) – Creator/Writer
Performed as part of NZ Schools Tour

2014-5: Crossbow Cat (Short Play) – Creator/Writer
Short and Sweet Festivals in Malaysia, the Philippines, Brisbane and Auckland

2014: Benedict Cumberbatch Must Die – Creator/Writer

2012: What is This? Woman’s Hour? (Play) – Creator/Writer
Performed at 2013 Dunedin Fringe, 2014 New Zealand Fringe (Wellington)

2024: Love is in the Air, Auckland Pride Festival (MOTAT, Auckland, NZ) – Stand-Up

2023: Guy Mont Spelling Bee, Live Nation & Jubilee Street (Q Theatre, Rangatira, NZ) – Guest Panellist

2021: The Royal Treatment (Calabrian Rhode Productions, Dir: Rick Jacobson), Role of ‘Abigail’

2024: RNZ (NZ) – Did Titanic Sink (Season 2 Director)

2023: RNZ (NZ) – Bookmarks (Guest)

2022: RNZ (NZ) – Did Titanic Sink – Bonus Episode: The Extended Discussion (Season 1, Presenter)

2022: RNZ (NZ) – Did Titanic Sink (Season 1, Co-Presenter)