By Natasha Boyd
Hamer Hall Melbourne was all abuzz on Saturday night with a near capacity crowd ready for a night of laughs courtesy of self-declared “Queensland first gay second” comedian, Mel Buttle, with her new show “Taking My Sunglasses Off To Hear You Better”. Smart choice to have Nath Valvo as the introductory support act, astutely determining through cheers and call outs the eclectic audience representation and congratulating the “bookers” of the group who may not get paid if the show was not brilliant. We all immediately relaxed into Valvo’s easy going style, as he shared thoughts from WhatsApp to the Bureau of Meteorology being the lifesaver of dinner conversations, before drawing us all eagerly forward to learn the one thing ALL couples have in common – and judging by the laughs, everyone secretly agreed! Aussie audiences love a little self-deprecation, so his personal story of sharing relatives’ extraordinary reactions to his hot husband went down a treat, not to mention trying to reconcile not having any hobbies in common with your extremely fit partner. A real hoot of an opener.
Suitably warmed up and feeling aglow, Mel Buttle, dressed in a casual oversized business suit, stopped abruptly as she walked onstage, seemingly and genuinely surprised by the three-tier epic crowd. So heart-warming for a stalwart of the comedy scene for over 15 years to still get showtime goose bumps. And of course we were, some there having loved her co-hosting gig on The Great Australian Bake Off, or perhaps her time on Melbourne radio and TV guest spots on shows like Taskmaster and of course as everyone’s favourite internet dressing gown loving mum “Lyn” who got a slight mention towards the end of the set.
Buttle cleverly made it clear from the get-go she knew most of her fans are women over 50 with money and gay couples. Using this to her advantage, she leaned into jokes about why lesbians don’t not want manicures on honeymoons, and the perils of two selfie loving mums with their sperm package at the IVF clinic. As a newly married, now mum of two, Buttle’s canny knack to see the hilarious side to family life ranged from day care dramas to the range of stereotype mums and gender roles for dads. Her frank and refreshing perspective had us all laughing and nodding in unison. Personally, DV trauma-based jokes like the recent mushroom murder case and the dad who took his kids on a one-way trip to the dam don’t appeal to me, but Buttle is savvy enough to know how many boundaries to push in one show.
Moving beyond family, Buttle continued her observational style about the joys of teacher yard duty, the hassle of chemists and her own recent ADHD diagnosis with a highly entertaining replay of her visit to a “closed eye” counsellor. Unexpected highlights were her comical bird and bulldog animal noises and for the Gen Xers in the room, an amusing Alby Mangel recap. How had we all forgotten that Casanova adventurer?!
Buttle is sharp, clever and relatable, knowing when to switch tone and topics to keep her audience completely engaged. A fabulously crafted hour of familiar domestic observations to slightly naughty and biting iterations that was thoroughly enjoyed by all, given the loud guffaws throughout and the lively foyer chat afterwards. And Valvo needn’t worry, all the bookers would be getting paid, and no doubt demanding they organise tickets for when these two fine talents are both in town next!
