Mel Buttle returns to Adelaide for the 2026 Adelaide Fringe with her show Taking My Sunglasses Off To Hear You Better playing at Woodville Town Hall for ONE NIGHT ONLY.
Mel Buttle is a busy bee. From juggling a toddler to sold out shows across the country to appearances on The Project and Taskmaster and keeping her millions of fans online happy, as the creator behind Australia’s favourite online mum character ‘Lyn’ - she needs a lie down. Lucky for you she’s very good at comedy too.
You remember how it felt when the Bookclub brochure arrived at school? She’s hoping this show brings you even just a sliver of that amount of joy/bliss/hope/happiness.
I sit down and chat with Mel on the show, Fringe, Adelaide and more, take a read below…
Markus Hamence: Adelaide audiences love bold, honest comedy – what personal truths or experiences are you unpacking in this year’s Fringe show?
Mel Buttle: That I’m 43 and spend 2 days a week at the chemist, when did that start? Remember in your twenties you’d got to the doctor once a year? Now I spend my days whizzing around from skin check to blood test, to daycare pickup. I used to be cool! I used to do segments on Triple J, now I’m personally keeping my local chemist afloat.
Markus: Your humour often balances vulnerability with razor-sharp wit. How has your voice evolved since your last Fringe appearance?
Like a fine wine, standup is about comfort and repetition. I’ve done this show so many times I’ve now found every possible laugh there is.
Markus: Fringe crowds can be unpredictable and delightfully chaotic. Have you had a moment on stage that completely derailed your set – in the best possible way?
Mel: I sure did, last fringe someone drinking a bottle of white wine with a straw got asked to leave, 4.15pm show too, I had to respect that.
Markus: What themes or cultural observations are inspiring your material right now, and why do they feel especially relevant in 2026?
Mel: Perimenopause. ADHD. Going to the dump.
Markus: Performing at the Adelaide Fringe is a unique beast – what keeps drawing you back, and how does the energy here compare to other festivals?
Mel: It’s hot, it’s crazy, the city comes out to party, I love the Fringe so much I google Adelaide house prices daily.
“I love the Fringe so much I google Adelaide house prices daily”
Mel Buttle
Markus: If audiences walk away remembering just one feeling or idea after your show, what do you hope stays with them?
Mel: That there’s too many kinds of tomatoes on offer these days.
Markus: Your comedy often flips everyday anxieties into something wildly relatable – what small, seemingly trivial frustrations have become unexpected gold in this show?
Mel: My hatred of cauliflowers’s glow up gets a mention.
Markus: Fringe season is a marathon of late nights, packed rooms and creative adrenaline – what rituals, comforts or survival tricks keep you grounded while the festival whirlwind is in full swing?
Mel: I try to eat as many vegetables as I can, you’ve got to go see some nature too, I love Port Wilunga.
Markus: Away from your own performances now, who’s another comedian that has inspired you or you just simply admire and why?
Mel: I love Anne Edmonds, she’s quite simply the best, I think Tina Turner was singing about Eddo.
Markus: Finally, what do you love about visiting Adelaide in general?
Mel: The food, Romeo’s Foodland, The Salopian Inn, SC Pannell Wines, Fruchocs
Markus: Thanks Mel. See you at your show in Adelaide this weekend.
Catch Mel Buttle’s Adelaide Fringe Show
Mel Buttle – Taking My Sunglasses Off To Hear You Better
Saturday 28 February 2026
Main Hall at Woodville Town Hall
Tickets
