Following a barnstorming run of sell-out shows and critical acclaim at the 2023 and 2024 Edinburgh Fringes and two London residencies, Rosalie Minnitt takes her cult comedy hit Clementine on tour. Clementine is a hysterical, deranged and irreverent Austen parody that meditates on girlhood, romance and everything in between, a kaleidoscopic concoction of historical anachronisms, TikTok sounds and misplaced pop-culture references - imagine Bridgerton for chronically online girlies.
Below creator and performer Rosalie Minnitt recounts some of the key moments that shaped her journey to character comedy nirvana.
I don’t think I fully grasped how intricate creating a comedy character would be. I didn’t set out to build her intentionally, so many of Clementine’s quirks and mannerisms evolved organically, born from countless pub theatre gigs and fringe festival performances. It wasn’t a deliberate process. Her world has grown alongside my own, and with each show, I’ve discovered more about what makes her tick. I know I’ve nailed a performance when it stops feeling like me on stage. When I’ve completely handed over the reins to Clementine, that’s when I know it’s been a good one.
1. VAULT Festival
Clementine’s first big run was at the now sadly retired VAULT Festival in 2023, and I was absolutely buzzing to perform there. It was such an exciting opportunity to be part of an event that showcased so many incredible and innovative acts. But when I walked into the space, I was struck by how much bigger the room was than I had anticipated. With a 90-seat capacity, it was a lot more daunting than I’d imagined.
Suddenly, I had to figure out how to fill that space and make sure the energy reached all the way to the back wall. That’s when I think a lot of Clementine’s frenzied, frantic energy started to take shape. In the face of this challenge, I began to leap around, move with abandon, and engage with the audience in a way that I hadn’t before. There was this instinctual push to fill every corner of the room, and Clementine’s physicality and wild enthusiasm grew out of that necessity. It was as though I was channeling all that nervous excitement and turning it into a performance that would reach everyone in the room, no matter where they were sitting.
2. Brighton Bursary
After the VAULT Festival, I was incredibly fortunate to win Luke Rollason’s Brighton Fringe Bursary, which opened up a whole new world of opportunities. The showcase itself was the biggest room I had performed in to date, and I have to admit, I was pretty nervous. The room was packed with industry professionals, reviewers, and lots of other movers and shakers whose opinions I respected, which made the pressure even more intense.
At this point, Clementine hadn’t ventured out of London yet, and I was still working hard to solidify a strong 5-minute set. I knew I needed to make an impact, so I made a bold decision: I would enter from the back of the room, behind the audience, and take my time to build Clementine’s presence before I even cracked a joke. I think I spent about two of my precious minutes just being there on stage, messing about, moving around, soaking in the moment, before I said a single word. But it worked. That slow build-up gave the audience time to settle into the character and, in a way, set the tone for what was to come.
It was a turning point for me.. It was the first time I understood that the character didn’t always need to speak to be funny. It sounds so obvious now, but at the time, I didn’t have any formal training in comedy, and I had always felt the pressure to fill the silence with words to keep the momentum going. In that moment, I realised the power of stillness, of presence, that silence could be just as powerful as the punchline itself. That was a huge "ah-ha" moment in the development of Clementine, and it completely changed how I approached her performances moving forward.
3. Edinburgh Fringe & Soho
Edinburgh in 2023 was where Clementine truly found her feet, and her audience. It was the moment she really started to come into her own. But it was afterwards at the Soho Theatre that I learned how to play. Time and time again, I noticed that the moments when I let myself improvise, or react to something from the audience, often landed far better than many of my pre-written jokes. For a long time, I had clung to the security of my script, relying on the safety of the words I’d carefully crafted. I still catch myself doing that sometimes, but it was in those Edinburgh and Soho shows that I realized something crucial: Clementine was at her best when she was improvising, when she was engaging with whatever the audience threw at her.
Those moments of spontaneity, of interacting with the crowd, allowed her to come alive in a way that the scripted material couldn’t. It was a revelation, a reminder that comedy, at its heart, is about connection. Clementine thrived in the unpredictability of the moment, and I learned to trust that, to let go of control and embrace the chaos which is incidentally what the show is all about.
4. Jane Austen Festival
I was beyond excited when I received the invitation to perform at the Jane Austen Festival in September 2024. It seemed like the perfect setting for Clementine to shine. However, Clementine isn’t exactly a traditional period drama, and at first, I found it quite challenging to connect with the audience. They weren’t sure what to make of the character and that show turned out to be a pivotal moment for me. I learned how to adjust, pull back and soften her when necessary. Most importantly, I discovered how crucial it is to invite the audience into her world before I lose myself in the show. It’s about checking in with them, ensuring they’re with me every step of the way.
5. The new tour!
I’m so excited to take Clementine on the road with me! I’m going to be performing at some dream venues and hopefully find new audiences along the way. I can’t wait to see what the UK makes of her.
Rosalie Minnitt's Clementine is on tour from March 8th at Shakespeare Playhouse North, Prescot - more details here: https://linktr.ee/rosalieminnitt
