Writer: Jade Franks
Director: Tatenda Shamiso
Inspired by writer-performer Jade Franks’ own experiences, Eat the Rich (but maybe not me mates x) follows a working-class Scouser navigating the unfamiliar world of Cambridge University. Beginning in a call centre, Franks establishes a protagonist who has always believed she was destined for something greater. From missing out on university because of her bad grades, predicted after using blue ink in mock exams, to eventually gaining a place at Cambridge, the story unfolds with humour from start to finish.
Franks’ writing paints a vivid picture of each stage of her journey, supported by Roly Botha’s clever composition and sound design, which firmly roots us in each setting while carrying us seamlessly through transitions. Combined with Tatenda Shamiso’s dynamic staging, the production engages throughout. Shamiso particularly succeeds in drawing out Franks’ natural warmth and charisma, which allows the audience to connect wholeheartedly in her story.
The show’s familiar one-person storytelling format becomes most compelling when Franks glimpses possible versions of her future. These moments provide some of the show’s funniest moments through its increasingly absurd possibilities. More importantly, it reveals her underlying fear of losing herself.
In the second half, the stakes rise when Franks finds herself caught between a rock and a hard place, which forces her to decide what kind of person she wants to become. While the writing’s humour occasionally leans on familiar observations about class differences, Franks nevertheless delivers enough unexpected punchlines to create several genuine laugh-out-loud moments.
Early on, Franks breaks the fourth wall while recounting motivational sayings from a colleague at the call centre. Although this establishes an immediate rapport with the audience, this setup is not revisited in a meaningful way later in the show, and as a result, it feels like a missed opportunity to reinforce one of the production’s central ideas that self-belief can be the catalyst for changing your life.
Eat the Rich (but maybe not me mates x) may not reinvent the one-person show, but it nevertheless remains an engaging and entertaining production. It’s the kind of show that makes for a perfect Friday night out.
Runs until 3 July 2026
