'It’s Hannah Montana, if Hannah was from Bootle': Scouse comedian heading to Edinburgh Fringe
There’s a Scouser heading to the Edinburgh this Summer and she’s bringing more than just a sharp tongue and a train ticket from Lime Street.
Jade Franks – actor, writer, director, and self-proclaimed working-class agitator – is making her Edinburgh Fringe debut with ‘Eat the Rich (but maybe not me mates x)’, a bold new one-woman show that promises to be as witty as it is quietly devastating.
Born and raised on Merseyside, Franks isn’t new to telling stories that ruffle feathers and speak truth with heart. From her time working at Liverpool’s Everyman and the Royal Court in London, to penning scripts for the likes of BBC Radio 4 (SAGA) and Gate Theatre (Hot in Here), she’s been making moves that matter.
But Eat the Rich is something altogether different – raw, rebellious, and rooted in personal experience. Set in the hallowed (and often hollow) halls of Cambridge University, Eat the Rich follows a bright working-class Scouser who bags a place at the UK’s most elite institution, only to find herself cleaning loos and dodging posh parties to pay the rent.
It’s Hannah Montana, if Hannah was from Bootle and didn’t have a pop career – just a degree, a mop, and a massive chip on her shoulder.
Written and performed by Franks herself, the show is a laugh-out-loud but punch-in-the-gut exploration of what it really means to “make it” in a world that wasn’t built for you in the first place. “Sorry to the many Oxbridge graduates dominating the Fringe this year,” Franks says cheekily. “Especially me mates. This play might be about me – but it’s about you too. Xx”
At just 22, Franks got into Cambridge through an outreach programme, after turning down drama school twice due to financial barriers. Now, in Eat the Rich, she’s turning that story on its head, holding a mirror up to meritocracy and asking who really gets to sit at the table – and who’s expected to scrub it clean.
Directed by Tatenda Shamiso (NO I.D., Royal Court), with backing from the powerhouse JFR Productions (responsible for hits like For Black Boys…), the show is packed with a creative team as quietly radical as its content.
With support from Boundless, the Everyman, Unity Theatre, and more, Eat the Rich isn’t just a play – it’s a shout from the wings, reminding us that behind every Fringe poster is a story, a sacrifice, and someone who fought to be heard.
But don’t get it twisted – this isn’t just a tale of hardship. It’s funny, biting, and brilliantly Northern. Think Chewing Gum meets Sex Education, with the emotional honesty of Big Boys and a touch of that unique Scouse humour that’ll have you laughing through gritted teeth.
In a Fringe too often dominated by Oxbridge footnotes and posh-boy memoirs, Franks is here to crash the party – armed with a hoover, a cracking script, and the kind of talent you can’t teach in a seminar.
Eat The Rich (but maybe not me mates x) is on at 14:15 at Pleasance Courtyard (Bunker 1), from Wednesday 30th July to Monday 25th August 2025 (not 12th, 19th). Book tickets at: