Theatre Interview: Rosalie Minnit, star of Clementine, appearing at Nottingham Playhouse in April

Thanks for taking time to chat over coffee and a muffin. So, what can audiences expect from Clementine?

It's a character comedy about a historical, insane woman, and you can expect a lot of laughs, a lot of silliness, and basically an hour where you can forget the world and have fun. It's described as not what people were expecting, but they were pleasantly surprised.

It's set in the period of Jane Austen world?

Yeah, it's a mishmash of anything that's not today, but generally the Jane Austen period. But I've taken a lot of liberties with the historical accuracy of it all.

What is it about that era that appeals to you?

It's such an enduring period for us, with so many tropes, especially when it comes to romantic love and from literature as well. So, I thought it would be a fun playground for comedy. But then I love history myself, and I'm a huge fan of the book, so it was an opportunity to indulge in things I like. Also, it offers an exciting and useful lens into questions we're asking ourselves today, like love and feminism. It’s a really interesting way to talk about things that might be tricky to talk about now, through the lens of the past.

Have things changed much since the days of Jane Austen?

Oh, in some ways they’ve gotten worse. At least gentlemen existed at some capacity in the past. Yeah, things have changed less than we think. I fear we're going backwards in a lot of different realms. I did a Q and A in Hull at the weekend where the audience stuck around and asked questions. And we got into this interesting discussion. There were women from different generations. The older women were like, when we were growing up, we were asking ourselves these questions. We worked hard to get past it, and now it feels like your generation is asking those same questions again. They were like, it's weird to see that cycle happen so quickly. So, it's changed less than we think. Plus an additional issue today, where people are more disconnected than ever. But I remain hopeful.

Do you think everybody has ‘The One’ they’re destined to meet?

I think there's multiple ones. Like my mum is quite spiritual in the best way, so I've maybe inherited a bit of that in terms of love and the universe, which has definitely trickled into the show. I think there's people that you're meant to meet on your journey, which is nice, but maybe there's more than just one person.

So how did you get started in the business?

I started off writing comedy at university, but I didn't really know how to get into the industry without any connections. My parents and teachers were being very supportive but from the sidelines. And then I worked as an assistant producer at CBBC for ages. I did lots of children's TV, and learned all about filming and writing, which was a sort of unexpected education, as well as not being precious about the stuff you write and taking feedback. It was a hard learning curve at times. Then I wrote a show and went up to Edinburgh, which went a lot better than I anticipated. So, I'm learning retroactively how to make a career from that.

How do you go about writing comedy?

Isn't that a big question. When I wrote the first show, I kept changing it a lot. I’d kind of rewrite and rewrite and rewrite. I was learning to write as I did it, which was quite nice. But the best jokes always come from improvised moments with the audience, off the cuff stuff.  One thing I love about my character is that it's this mishmash of tightly written jokes, but there's still room for play. And also, you don't know what the audience are going to bring. As I've done the show more, I've weaved in between those two things. But, when it comes to writing, I have to rewrite a joke a million times before I'm satisfied. Some jokes have taken me three years. I do them again and again, as the rhythm hasn't worked. I’m quite a slow writer.

I'm also stubborn, so I keep chasing it until I get it right. A lot of it is trial and error, really. Trying it out on the night and hoping that you can find something whilst you're up there. Like tweaking words or tweaking the rhythm, and just not being too precious about it.

I'm finding my own approach to writing. In comedy, when you're finding your voice, it's tempting to make jokes that you know will work but might not necessarily feel like they're  your voice. I resist the urge to put jokes in where I know they’ll work but it's not necessarily the kind of joke that I want to be making.

When you walk out on that stage, do you ever get nervous?

Weirdly, I get a lot less nervous when it's my show, and more nervous when I'm in line-up nights or mixed bills, because they're high stakes with loads of industry people there. It’s harder to win an audience round in 10 minutes, especially if I'm sandwiched between two other stand-ups, with a shift in vibe that’s difficult to manage. I don't like bringing the character out to audiences who are already predisposed to hate it. I don't want to put my character in that position. So, I'm sometimes nervous for the character, which is kind of weird. Sometimes, I'll go on stage, and it feels there's no way I can win the audience round, like they're not my audience, they're not here to see me. Whereas, when I do my own show, even they don't get it initially, we have a whole hour to lock in, and bring people on board. So, I get a lot less nervous when I'm doing a whole hour weirdly.

How do you deal with nerves?

I just imagine, before I go on, that everyone is there for a good time, and everyone wants me to do well. That's the sort of mentality that's helped me.

Any tips for young people aspiring to do stand-up comedy?

I think following your guts and doing something that feels like only you could do it. And for people who want to do it, particularly women, just do what you find funny, and don't worry if you have loads of nights when it doesn't fall, or it doesn't track, and it doesn't quite land. You will eventually find people that that get on board and see what you're trying to do. So, follow your gut and do what you find funny.

What will you be doing in five years’ time?

I would love to still be doing this, really. I'd love to have a little bit more money to do it! Also, I'd love to have a body of work that I can look back on and see that it speaks to a particular time in my life. And I'd love to be doing stuff in different areas as well. Like, I wrote a sketch show with my friend earlier this year, which was an exciting new challenge for me, because we wrote it for CBBC, and it was really different to what I'd done before.

I would love to do things in lots of different realms. When I was adapting my character for Radio Four, that was another challenge, where I was doing a completely different form of writing and a completely different form of like artistic expression. So I'd love to look back where I've tried out all those things that, even if they haven't worked, I had a go. That's where I'd like to be.

Anything we missed?

Only, if people are wondering whether they're going to come to Clementine or not, they should take a chance, as they might be pleasantly surprised.

They definitely will be and I'll let you get back to that muffin!

Clementine plays at the Nottingham Playhouse on Saturday 11 April 2026.