Mel Buttle

Brisbane comedian Mel Buttle has come up with a new way to scrounge free food. Her latest show is entitled Bring A Plate – and she's encouraging audiences to do just that. “It's gonna feel like you're at a pretty informal dinner party,” Buttle says. “The show is based around the kinds of stories that I've been telling all year to my friends after I've had two glasses of wine.” Stories that are M-rated, in other words.

Buttle has an unusual inspiration for Bring A Plate. “I'd say my number one favourite thing about the show is it's got some jokes in there about the TV show Embarrassing Bodies, which is my favourite show at the moment. I'm pretty excited to talk about that for about ten minutes on stage!” Buttle's obsession with the medical reality show began when she'd tune into it after arriving home late from stand-up gigs. “It's like a train wreck – I can't not watch it.” Buttle enjoys viewing it with her mum, who works in a hospital. “I think it's a bit of a bonding thing,” she quips. Embarrassing Bodies is a hot topic, too, with her friends – “'Have you seen Embarrassing Bodies, did you see that guy who has that thing growing out of his ear?',” Buttle says in a mock gossipy tone. “If I was at a dinner party tonight, I'd probably talk about Embarrassing Bodies.”

Buttle has fast established herself on the national comedy circuit, with media types hailing her as “a young Judith Lucy”, and has brought her unique humour to radio (including Nova) and television (Network Ten's This Week Live). She's even ventured into scriptwriting, starting with pal Josh Thomas' Please Like Me on ABC2. And she has a column in Brissy's Courier-Mail. Then there's the “fun” – and cult – podcast she does with The Grates singer Patience Hodgson, The Minutes.

Buttle wants punters to bring snacks to her show – especially since stand-up often happens at dinnertime. “It must be on a plate, though – not in Tupperware!” She's partial to Country Women's Association recipes – or, as one who works solitarily at home, the food typically served in offices, such as sandwiches and scones. “That's my dream,” Buttle realises, “to eat basically corporate morning tea food.”