Interview: Writer and Actor Rosalie Minnitt on Feminism and Comedy in her Play CLEMENTINE at VAULT Festival

Clementine, directed by Tristan Robinson and Alison Middleton, is a one-woman show about Lady Clementine, a woman who "sets off on a quest to solve the mystery of her ill-fortune" when looking for love. The show, "Gen Z's ode to womanhood," is written by and stars Rosalie Minnitt, who previously appeared at the VAULT Festival in the VAULT Young Company's production of Joy.

Recently, BroadwayWorld had the chance to speak with Rosalie about Clementine. We discussed her journey of writing and performing, feminism in comedy, and what she hopes audiences will take away from the show.

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How did you first get involved in writing and performing?

I started performing when I was at uni, which is a few years ago now - I graduated in 2018, but I'd always liked performing. And then I did lots of student sketch comedy, which is its own thing and its own world. But I realised I really liked writing and I love performing comedy, and it was such a good way to learn those skills and how to work and write with other people. I just really loved it. Then I graduated and I was figuring out how to do it, so I did a bit of stand-up. That was going really well and then the pandemic hit. Over the pandemic, I just thought, "I really want to get back out there." I think that it was a period where a lot of people lost their confidence, particularly loads of performers. I felt like because I hadn't done it in ages, I was just looking for a way to get back out there and get on stage.

I set myself a bit of a challenge and was like, "I'm just gonna write it, see what happens, put it on once, and at least I can say I've done it." So I did that last year. It gave me something to do in the pandemic as well, something to put my mind towards. And so we did that [Clementine] and it went really well. It was the first time I'd performed properly in like two years.

In a way, the show's just been a really good way of trying to figure out how this stuff works, like meeting other people who were doing similar stuff. I didn't go to drama school or anything, so it's been a really good way to meet other artists and comedians. And we'll see what happens at VAULT!

What inspired you to write Clementine, other than the pandemic and wanting to do something?

I lost my job, so I had to move back in with my parents. They used to live in Belgium, but they moved back to the UK and they decided to live in the countryside. So I was stuck in rural Wiltshire for loads of months. I went on these walks every day in these beautiful fields, but I was just going a bit mad. It all felt like a "Woman on the Edge" situation. [Laughs] So it's inspired by Romantic vibes. And I've always loved history, so I love the idea of making this historical character. I also had come across this book as well in this charity shop - It was a sort of handbook for Edwardian women to find a husband and some of the advice is just so insane! And it's real!

All of the advice was loads of superstition stuff and all of these things about like dreams and tarot card readings that I just loved. I thought it was so funny. So I was like, "I'll go do something with this!" And I took it and ran, really. [Laughs]

For those unfamiliar with the show, what is Clementine about?

So it's a one-woman character comedy show that's sort of about a woman trying to find the love of her life. That's the top line. But it happens in a universe that is potentially not one that we're massively familiar with. It's generally set in the past but it's also not very historically accurate. It's a really fun, musical comedy about all of the ridiculous things that single women are expected to do and all of the ridiculous tropes that come with it. I think that there's something so funny about the way in which people used to find partners in the past and how it's actually not really changed that much now. There's something really sad but hilarious about it.

You've previously discussed sexism and comedy, including what you call the "punchline gap,". How do you reflect that in Clementine?

I wrote that article with Alison [Middleton], who's helped me direct it [Clementine]. I think I found it more in my experience of doing the show. When you're going out on your own without a comedy partner, you do come across some really interesting moments of sexism, but also various levels of opportunity that you can't seem to get hold of. Obviously, you can't get too wrapped up in it. I think there's a tendency to think about all of the things you're not getting - you forget about what you are getting. I remember someone saying that, when you get onstage as a man, the only thing that you need to be worried about is losing the audience. But when you get on stage as a woman, you have to win the audience. That's always in my head. I brought this show to Fringe and I've never really been too worried about an audience not liking it, because I know that it's really specific. And I know that once I've got the right audience in, they really like it. I always wanted to just write something that I would like. But there's definitely been a few audiences where I'm like, "I really have to work so hard at this.".

I've seen similar acts done by men where they don't really have to work as hard and I think it's really interesting. The gap between that [genders] is huge. When we published that article, we got loads of backlash, actually.

Some stand-up guy shared it and was like, "This isn't true. These guys clearly don't have enough experience. There's loads of good women out there." And we were like, "Well, that's not what we're saying!" It's not about that, it's about the fact that it does exist.

Even when I go and see comedy, I see a woman get on stage and my bar is different. I can't even explain why! I have to train myself into being like, "Hang on, why are you thinking this?" And so I think it's something to be mindful of. I didn't necessarily throw it into the show as much because it's quite irreverent, so I didn't really have to be too worried about it. I've also found that it's a show that women like a lot more [Laughs], which I'm happy about!

What has it been like performing in multiple shows (Joy and Clementine) at the VAULT Festival?

It's interesting to see the different processes of writing with other people and then doing something on your own. Obviously, you've got a lot more creative control over it.

Doing a piece from a young company [VAULT Young Company] perspective is so different and I've never really done that before. So I learned loads of really useful things in it - different people have different skills and the weaving together of all of those things is so specific and actually takes a lot more time than you anticipate. It's also been quite nice to have already done a show there because I know what the space is like and what the audience is like. And also, I've not really performed the show since Fringe, so it was quite good to be able to go out and start being on stage again. I think you can get a little bit in your head and a little bit rusty. I usually work in TV, so I don't perform in my daily job.

Was there any particular reason you chose the VAULT Festival for Clementine?

In 2020, before the pandemic, I had gone to a show at Vault and I'd been like, "Oh my God, this is so cool! I'd love to have a show here!" I had a friend who was in a show and I just kept thinking, "Wouldn't it be amazing to write something and then just put it on?" It was always that festival that had been in my head, but it's so far away from what seemed achievable to where I was at that time. The confidence I had in myself as a performer and a writer - the bar was the floor.

The pandemic obviously didn't help that and I could never have imagined having the delusion or confidence to do something on my own... I think it's also really easy in this sort of space to keep going. You forget how far you've come and you're always thinking about what you don't have and the next thing.

What do you hope audiences take away from Clementine?

Well, someone told me at Fringe that it has quite a lot of heart to it. And I was quite surprised - I was like, "Really?" It didn't occur to me. [Laughs] I hope that they come out of it feeling really silly and really joyful.

The thing that I've really wanted was to make something that didn't have a massive political agenda behind it. It wasn't trying to throw home a point about something.

I want people to leave being like, "That was a mad hour and I had so much fun! I'm not entirely sure what happened or why it happened." I want to leave them feeling a bit confused, actually. I think that's the best. [Laughs]

And finally, how would you describe Clementine in one word?

I'd probably describe it as quite delusional on every single level!

Clementine is running at the VAULT Festival on 3 and 4 March in The Network Theatre.

Photo Credit: Ed Rees

VAULT Festival has been left without a venue for next year. You can contribute to the #SaveVAULT campaign here.

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