Charly Clive and Ellen Robertson have long shared a close friendship, having first connected on a school trip two decades ago. Over the last ten years, they have collaborated on sketch comedy while also living together for much of that time.
Recently, however, their professional paths have taken a strikingly similar turn. In December 2024, Clive received news of her role as Steve Carell’s daughter in HBO’s campus comedy, “Rooster.” Shortly thereafter, Robertson discovered she would star as Rachel Weisz’s daughter in Netflix’s “Vladimir,” another clever comedy set in a U.S. university. Both series premiered in March and received positive reviews, drawing millions of viewers.
“It was surreal,” Robertson recalls, reminiscing about the moment they celebrated their coincidental casting while enjoying wine on a rooftop. Clive, on the other hand, was not surprised by their success. “I genuinely thought it was inevitable,” she said, reflecting on their years of perseverance in smaller television roles, including Clive’s lead in the Channel 4 drama “Pure” in 2019. “Whenever Ellen expressed concern about our careers, I would reassure her that it was all coming together. And thankfully, it did.”
Even with their rising fame, both Clive and Robertson, now 33, remain committed to their sketch comedy roots. This year, under their collaborative name, Britney, they are set to present a new show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. In fact, they have two performances lined up: during the day, they will act in a play called “Jitters,” written by Robertson, where Clive portrays her partner’s future stepmother, and in the evenings, they will showcase their latest sketch show, “Holy Mackerel!”
When we met for lunch in an east London eatery in June, the duo was unfazed about their festival preparations. I had previously attended a preview of “Holy Mackerel!” in February, and it was nearly perfect. There is a clear sense of meticulousness in a Britney production; Clive notes, “Our shows are carefully crafted, which makes it all the more disappointing when they don’t land.”
However, there is little doubt about their comedic abilities. Clive and Robertson excel at uncovering humor in unexpected places. Their last Edinburgh show, “Friends and Nothing More,” cleverly extracted laughs from an ordinary Stephen King quote. This time, they have transformed an unusual headline from the Guardian’s TV section into one of the most entertaining sketches I have seen in a long time, featuring both fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld and serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer.
The duo is adept at spotting jokes hidden in everyday settings. “Isn’t it amusing how the menu said ‘house trout’? Like, house red, house white… house trout! That’s going to be our new sketch—there’s inspiration everywhere!” Clive remarked after placing their order. Occasionally, their references can be a bit too niche; they are contemplating removing a sketch based on B*Witched’s 1998 hit “C’est la Vie,” as neither older nor younger audiences seem to appreciate it. Previewing it for a disinterested Gen Z crowd was particularly disheartening for Robertson. They both agree that ideally, their shows would cater to millennial women, aiming to create a vibe where the audience can escape reality for an hour and enjoy the comedic experience provided by the duo.
Their friendship began at their all-girls school in Oxfordshire during year nine, where they bonded on a coach ride to the World War I battlefields of Ypres. Although they had not conversed before, they quickly became friends, sharing laughter throughout the trip. Back at school, they entertained each other with funny voices during lunch breaks. “It’s hard to gauge what our classmates thought of our humor,” Robertson mused. Clive, with her characteristic confidence, believes they were viewed as amusing. “We were ahead of our time; maybe others were just jealous!”
Robertson continued her studies at Cambridge, performing with the prestigious Footlights, while Clive pursued drama in New York. After completing their education, they began considering a sketch show for the Edinburgh Fringe. However, Clive’s diagnosis of a brain tumor changed their plans.
Robertson proposed creating a show based on Clive’s diagnosis, noting that Clive was handling the situation with humor and that it could provide her with some positive memories from a challenging year. Clive initially rejected the idea but eventually agreed; the resulting production, titled “Britney,”—a name they humorously assigned to the tumor—became a hit through word of mouth.
The following year, after initial surgery, Clive’s tumor began to grow again, leading her to undergo radiotherapy. This prompted the duo to revive “Britney” in London, where it garnered interest from the BBC, which adapted it into a pilot in 2021 featuring Tony Gardner. Robertson described the pilot-making experience as “the most fun I’ve ever had,” expressing hope that it would be picked up for a series, although that did not happen.
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