Creating a Comedy Character, with Rosalie Minnitt
Rosalie Minnitt is a critically acclaimed comedian, known for her character Clementine. She's had two years of sold-out shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and three Soho Theatre residencies.
With rave reviews in the Telegraph, the Guardian and Chortle, Rosalie Minnitt is the new darling of the arts press. Clementine is her character creation, an 18th-century lady of leisure on the hunt for a man. Having landed on multiple lists of “Shows You Must See,” it’s a wonder audiences don’t turn up with swirling, hypnotised eyes.
I might as well add to the adoration - she’s magic.
Rosalie packs dozens of neat little jokes, into frantic monologues, historical references aplenty. As an onlooker, it’s a thrill, and kind of like being attacked by Mr Tickle. Although with such a whirring brain, I can’t imagine she’s getting much sleep at night...
…I should have asked, but she told me much besides.
*Audio below the article
Where did you grow up?
I was born in the Lake District and then we moved to Holland. My dad is from Manchester and my mum is from Belgium. They’re both teachers and they decided to go and teach in an international school, for a bit of adventure.
So, I mainly grew up in Holland before moving to Slovakia, and then to Brussels. My friend’s dad joked that my parents must be arms dealers, because they’ve lived in such suspicious capitals.
I have Belgian family as well, so I speak Flemish and Dutch. I used to speak French, but not very well anymore.
It’s all very impressive. I only speak English.
Have you always been creative?
Ooo, that’s a great question. Yes, I think so. I’ve always enjoyed art - painting and doing things with my hands. Weirdly, I’m a much better illustrator and painter than I am at this.
That can’t be true.
Yeah, I loved it. I don’t like being chained to a desk, and prefer creativity.
I loved playing with my Sylvanian Families when I was little. Just creating little worlds and stories. I’ve tried to elongate my childhood by doing what I do.
That’s the dream, really. It sounds fun.
What drew you to playing a character?
I didn’t want to be myself, but not in a bad way.
I tried stand-up, where people play a character anyway, or an exaggerated version of themselves. I don’t know if I’m overthinking this… But I felt, as a young woman, people would read too much into who I was and have preconceived ideas about me as a comedian. Your comedy is received differently.
After a 5-minute open mic spot, a comment I got afterwards showed they’d made a lot of assumptions. I liked the idea of taking control of that narrative and creating a world. I’m giving less of myself away, and it means I don’t take it as personally if someone doesn’t like it. I think that’s a healthy boundary. I can blame it on the character. Plus, you can play around with it more.
That’s surely more fun. You’ve got costumes and props…
Yeah! It’s inspired by how I felt when I was little. I was deeply into pink and princesses. Not as much now, but I was so sold on the typical little girl’s dream. I was so gendered.
You wore a blue dress in old promo shots, but now it’s pink. What happened there?
I quite honestly didn’t know what I was doing when I first started; and I still don’t really, ha-ha.
I hired a dress from the National Theatre Company, which anyone can do. It’s great and I lived right next to the costume department. I said “It’s fate,” such was my mental state at the time.
Then I won a bursary in Brighton, and they said they could make me a free costume.
“It was the year of the Barbie movie and I liked the idea of a hyper-feminine look, because you could play on all the princess tropes.”
I don’t actually wear colours day-to-day, or skirts and dresses. I associate them with performing. But not just performing the character, I associate them with performing gender.
Would you prefer to have been an 18th century lady of leisure?
100%, yes.
I think I would have thrived doing absolutely nothing. I work really hard, but every so often it occurs to me that I could be doing nothing. I’d have loved the gossip and the dancing. I think I would have just loved it, not questioning my patriarchal constraints in any shape or form.
As I watch women go to their 9 to 5 jobs, I think, “this can’t have been what we were fighting for,” ha-ha. Something got lost along the way. My dad often says I would have thrived in this period.
Does Lady Clementine feel the audience’s judgement, and how does this come across?
That’s so interesting.
Some of her jokes are light jabs at the audience. I’m trying to figure out why the character works - what works and what doesn’t. She’s somewhat of a drag queen, but she gets away with it, because she’s sort of stupid. She’s a high-status character, who knows less than the audience.
It’s a weird thing to play with. You can overthink it, but you can also underthink it. Which can cause a joke not to land, and you have to figure out why.
In such instances, I wonder if I wasn’t tuned into how people were reading the character. Plus, people like her for different reasons. Some people really like her… And I find that quite concerning, ha-ha. She’s a bad person.
So, there are three parties involved, the audience, the character and me. The audience and I have some awareness of that, and I think that’s nice. I end up reacting to their responses. It’s a fun interplay to play with.
Plus, she’s an old-fashioned character, helping me to talk about the now. Sometimes there are relatable confessions in the show, things that we all do. So, I know the audience can’t judge me and I remind them of that. But she’s an exaggerated version and couldn’t be a real person.
You’d hope.
You would, you literally would.
Has Clementine’s search for love led to any real-life proposals?
You know what? It has. Which also makes me wonder how the audience are reading the character. It’s mainly women who come and see the show, but I think men can completely miss the point.
When I bring a guy on stage as the love interest, often they will message me after and ask if I want to go for a drink. Which is so funny, because in that scene Clementine is really into them. And I just think it’s amusing that they thought we had a real connection up there.
In some ways its nice but its difficult to say where the boundary should be. I was asked just after a show once and it felt weird. Plus, you’re so much more attractive when you’re performing. So, you’re only going to let people down. I thought “maybe not.” I don’t want to ruin the alure.
You perform without a microphone. Do you make any preparations to look after your voice?
I really need to. I’m figuring out how to use a microphone. At bigger venues I’ve struggled when I haven’t used one. And when I have, it’s a different struggle. I’m not used to doing the jokes with a mic. The delivery doesn’t feel right. I think it’s a skill and I haven’t mastered it yet.
What about a headset mic? Or a lapel mic?
I used a headset mic for one show, and didn’t like how it came across. Again, it felt different. I’m figuring out what’s best for the character.
I’m really bad at looking after my voice, because I don’t have any vocal training. I try and warm up, but my voice is gone after the first 4 or 5 days of a run.
Did you have any prior theatre experience?
I did musicals at university, for my sins. I also did a couple in Edinburgh as part of a student group. I like doing theatre with all the beats of a comedy show. It’s very precise, and written with comedy gigs in mind.
“It took a really long time to write the show. The jokes have been tested a million times, and I’ve enjoyed the world-building of theatre. I wanted to make something I’d go and see.”
Are you aware that most people couldn’t do what you do?
Oh, that’s a nice thing to say! I feel like they probably could. I’ve had a lot of people say the show has inspired them, and my mum said “It’s almost like they’ve thought - well if she can do it, I can definitely do it.”
No! Ha-ha.
I’ve had people in Edinburgh say they were really inspired, which made them bring their shows to the Fringe the following year. Taking that leap is scary, so it’s really nice to be the reason someone did. To push… I was going to say, someone over the edge. No, to be the push that made them do it. I was really scared.
On your point about anybody being able to do what you do; I think you underestimate your skills. Your jokes arrive at such speed. You have a very unique mind.
Thank you! You can get trapped in your head. Especially when you’re doing so much on your own. Although, I’ve had a lot of help. My friend, who directs the show, has been a big part of it.
At the moment, I’m trying to write something new and I’m wondering “Is this insane?” I’m putting all of these post-it notes up, wondering “Is this anything?” But I’ve written one show well… So, maybe I need to trust my instincts a bit more. You never know if you’re on the right track, or going mad.
I don’t think comedians ever find certainty about these things.
Yeah! Which is kind of comforting. I probably need to back myself more.
How do you feel about all the positive press?
Great! But I’ve also had bad reviews.
One publication, has done 3 different reviews of the show, in my 2 years of working on it. I got 3 stars, then 4, then 5. You don’t always do a great show. That’s what I tell people seeking advice. It’s normal. When I feel I’ve had a good show, I get good reviews. You can feel when it’s working.
I still have imposter syndrome though, because I’ve been doing this for such a short period of time. I’ve got this great show, but I’m still not good at those 10-minute gigs. How do I sell the show in such a short period of time?
So, I worry, but the comedian John Kearns congratulated me on finding something that works. Comics can spend years looking for that. The cultural zeitgeist has to be right. I’ve never wanted to look at the reviews, but sometimes you have to think how far you’ve come.
What’s it like performing at the Soho Theatre? It seems to have a mythical prestige.
At first, I felt like it was the Emerald City.
Everyone wants to do Soho. If you’re a very mainstream TikTok comedian there are other avenues, but if you’re doing something a bit weirder it’s the place to be. Although, when you achieve something like that, you do wonder where to go next. At the time, I didn’t realize how many people were gunning for that post-Edinburgh spot.
They curate quite thoughtful shows, generally.
They do want shows that sell, but also that they can support and nurture. I really felt that. I was bugging the comedy producer there for ages. Really annoying him, but he was super supportive and it paid off.
Is there something romantic about performing theatre?
Oh my gosh, yes. There’s something romantic about performing comedy too - even more so. You feel the vibe in the room and everyone’s on your side. Even when you lose people, you can get them back.
“In theatre you’re judged more on the structure, the bigger picture. Minute to minute, it’s less ‘live or die.’ In comedy you’re jumping from second to second.”
There’s a lot more at stake, weirdly. They’re both difficult, but the dance you play is faster. And you know every five seconds how you’re doing. The silence is an instant giveaway. In theatre the audience could all be asleep, and you’re thinking it’s the best show ever.
Who are your influences?
One of my biggest influences is a guy called Julio Torres. I saw him in Edinburgh in 2017.
The show was later taken up by HBO and he’s done loads of movies. He wasn’t doing a character, he was just weird, ha-ha. I’d never seen comedy done like that before. It was so detailed. He was completely himself. It wasn’t made for the audience at all. [1] I had a lot of respect for that. On the Guardian’s list of things to look out for this year, he was above me. I thought “That’s nice.”
I also like making comedy that’s purposefully derivative, which sounds stupid. But our lives are filled with online content and it creeps into our interactions. I take note of that. Especially with AI, everything is derivative. We have to be so careful of it and I find that really interesting.
The nature of popular content online is a good benchmark for where society is at. When Trump comes in, god forbid, I think we’re going to see a big cultural shift. There’s a lag before you notice the changes in real life, but it always comes round. It’s a fascinating interplay.
My personality is, in part, defined by the internet. I don’t think you can make comedy without referencing it nowadays.
Is the show rooted in Jane Austen as well?
It is, but I’m not a Jane Austen diehard. I do love that period. I’ve always loved history. I studied it at university. It would be my specialist subject on Mastermind. [2]
I’m interested in Romanticism. I think the way we define love comes from that period. [3] The way we look at ourselves as individuals, comes from that artistic movement too. I love the art of that time; it had a dark undertone… Which I don’t cover in the show!
So, the show is more about the time in which the books were set, rather than the books themselves?
Yes, it romanticizes that period as well as the modern day. I don’t know how I came up with that idea, but it appears more intelligent than it actually is, ha-ha. I fell into it.
You’re going on tour. Have you changed the show to suit a national audience?
Having done the show in various places, it is received differently. I think I will. I’ll need to do more leading in, and less of the jokes that are just for me. You can get away with more with a Soho crowd. Elsewhere, you have to be more on the ball; I’m a bit nervous about that. You make a thing and show it to people, and that’s all you can do.
I don’t think I’ll start the shows with the same intensity. They’ll need some warming up. I need ways to make it less startling. Especially for older audiences, who can be stressed out by it.
Really?
I need ways to make it less like being hit over the face a billion times.
Ha-ha-ha. One more question. Have you ever kept a diary?
Oh, yes. I discovered a diary I made in year seven. [4] It’s a tough read in places, but entertaining. I’m glad no one discovered it. I didn’t hold back at all.
I don’t keep one now, but I do a lot of freewriting. It’s journalling, but with no intention of reading it back. I need to get thoughts out there. I quite like the idea of having a “Dear Diary.” I always found it very romantic.
Well, that was my interview with Rosalie Minnitt. She was truly lovely. You can follow what she’s up to on her Instagram page. Tickets for the tour are linked in her bio, at the top.
Audio
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[1] David Earl’s old stand-up character, Brian Gittins, has been described in the same way.
[2] A British quiz show where they ask questions about your chosen subject.
[3] Has Rosalie been watching Alain de Botton’s School of Life?
[4] The first year of secondary school/high-school.
Great interview, it’s made me want to go and see Rosalie live
excellent interview. good read