Review by Carly Fisher
Rosalie Minnitt’s hour of character comedy is truly unlike any other I have seen before…and I absolutely loved it! Adopting the persona of Lady Clementine, Minnitt gives a performance that runs at a mile a minute and offers such charisma, energy and delightful insanity that I did not want the hour to end.
Minnitt has created an impeccable series of video backdrops that make references to all the ages in which women have been subjected to ridiculous standards and expectations…like the fact that she MUST be married before she turns 27 or she will be institutionalised! The nit picky amongst us will argue that there are many images not appropriate for the time in which Lady Clementine is indicative…the fun amongst us will appreciate the hilarity in this choice and commend Minnitt for it (I’m the later!). The music, projections and lighting elements are all timed to perfection and the set is interactive and well used by the performer - all in all, this is a highly professional and perfected set of design elements that really are well beyond what one expects from a comedy hour. I love a prop so the fact the Minnitt has seemingly hundreds of them works nicely for me!
The pace of the piece is electric throughout and Minnitt has to be highly commended for the energy she pours into this chaotic hour. Equally, her crowd work is excellent and she endears the audience to such an extent that there is not only no resistance, there is enthusiasm when she requests participation from some members of the audience. In fact, she cleverly finds a way to incorporate the whole audience in the show in some capacity and this interactivity again just makes the audience root for her success even more.
The script is well considered to balance the comedy with a driven plot and whilst erratic, the story conveys its messaging strongly. Yes, Clementine is a little unhinged, but ridiculousness of the idea that a woman is really only worth something once married is well explored and commented on. The show is a perfect reminder of who and what should matter most to us - all of us - but especially to women! Don’t judge Clementine at surface value - there is more to this character than meets the eye.
The integration of modern phrases and current slang is absolutely perfect - honestly, this is the strongest scripted comedy I’ve seen at the fringe so far. It’s like Minnitt has mixed Bridgerton, The Great and Tik Tok culture together - gosh its fun!
So girlies (read all humans), do yourself a favour and get one of the few remaining tickets to Rosalie Minnitt: Clementine - particularly as the fringe begins to draw to a close and the fringe fatigue is setting in, fill your afternoon with pure fun. You won’t regret it.
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