Jade Franks, a 29-year-old comedian and playwright from Merseyside, has drawn widespread acclaim with her semi-autobiographical show, *Eat the Rich (But Maybe Not Me Mates X)*, which explores the complexities of working-class life within the elite environment of the University of Cambridge. The one-woman play, which debuted at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2025 to sold-out audiences and five-star reviews, is now touring internationally and returning to London’s Soho Theatre for a three-week run.

Franks’ experiences at Cambridge, where she studied theatre and education, provided much of the inspiration for the show. She observed subtle signifiers of class difference — from conversational cues to lifestyle disparities — that underscored her sense of being an outsider. These included the tacit acceptance of privileged backgrounds, the absence of part-time jobs among her peers, and a cultural environment alien to her working-class roots. Franks herself worked a part-time cleaning job during university, an arrangement technically against the institution’s rules, which she incorporates into her narrative to illustrate the pressures and tensions of her early academic life.

Now residing in Melbourne while performing the show, Franks has also secured a Netflix adaptation of *Eat the Rich*, for which she serves as screenwriter. The series will take a more dramatic turn than the stage production. Alongside this project, she is developing a new play for Liverpool Everyman, centered on a young woman who, seeking closure with her ex-partners, participates in a reality TV show staged to make others believe she has died.

Before her rise in comedy, Franks worked at London’s Royal Court Theatre, focusing on initiatives to attract more diverse and working-class audiences. After being made redundant, she relocated back to Liverpool, adopting sobriety and focusing on writing to bring her play to fruition. Franks credits the critical theory education she received at Cambridge with shaping her understanding of class dynamics, while maintaining an affectionate—if candid—view of the institution.

Critics have compared *Eat the Rich* to productions such as *Fleabag*, though Franks cautions against simplistic parallels, given the differing backgrounds and perspectives between her work and that of Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Instead, she cites Michaela Coel and Jack Rooke as key inspirations for their successful transitions from theatre to television that highlight working-class narratives.

Franks’ humor, steeped in observations of privilege and cultural divides, seeks to engage rather than alienate audiences, most of whom come from middle- or upper-class backgrounds. She emphasizes the power of comedy to facilitate discourse and reflection on class without resorting to didacticism.

Despite her newfound success, Franks remains grounded, acknowledging both the support of her working-class upbringing and the unexpected opportunities that have propelled her career. *Eat the Rich (But Maybe Not Me Mates X)* continues at Soho Theatre, W1, through 3 July.