In her latest solo festival show, 'Up To Pussy's Bow', professional cynic and Gen Y's own agony aunt Mel Buttle delivered a series of witty, sharp-tongued diatribes on just about everyone and everything that has pissed her off recently.
In a packed-out Turbine Studio at the Brisbane Powerhouse (12 March) as part of the 2015 Brisbane Comedy Festival, Buttle didn't ease into things – her first targets being parking tickets and a hapless bus driver who was a little too casual about stopping mid-peak-hour journey to take a lengthy toilet break, before tales of deceiving the militantly anti-pets body corporate at her mum's townhouse complex.
Buttle balanced her many skewerings with plenty of self-deprecating humour and the chuckles were kept almost constant with laugh-too-hard-and-you'll-miss-'em little asides peppered among her anecdotes. No stone is left unturned in the potential of deliciously mean laughs at the expense of human behaviour.
Her best material centres on living with her hapless dad and finding a bag of meth, as well as tales of his awkward forays into middle-aged online dating (she arguably reserves her biggest crucifixion of the night for dear old pa's on-off girlfriend Pam).
The big laughs also flow from her critique of the sleazy, wannabe-Don Drapers of Fortitude Valley and her riotously un-PC conclusion that Allen's lollies are clearly aimed at mentally-ill kids.
A closing rendition of Salt N Pepa's 'Shoop' in her mum's voice (think Kath Day-Knight but better) uniquely caps off a fine night of uncompromising comedy. If you haven't caught her yet, ensure Mel Buttle is on your festival bucket list.
And ABC, get this lady back on your screens pronto!
