Review by Markus Hamence – Eat The Rich (But Maybe Not Me Mates X) – Performance date: Tuesday 24 February 2026. Holden Street Theatres, Hindmarsh, South Australia
Eat The Rich (but maybe not me mates) at Holden Street Theatres (HST) arrives at the 2026 Adelaide Fringe with serious buzz and a reputation while also being hailed one of HST headliners – and, let me tell you, it earns every bit of it. This Edinburgh Fringe smash-hit lands in Adelaide as a razor-sharp, darkly funny one-woman play exploring class, privilege and the exhausting art of fitting in.
“It’s bold, witty and unexpectedly moving…”
Markus Hamence
Jade Franks commands the stage with electric presence, delivering a performance so vivid it feels like a full cast is unfolding before your eyes. The story follows a working-class Liverpool student navigating Cambridge’s polished corridors while secretly working as a cleaner to survive – a double life that fuels both biting comedy and moments of quiet emotional truth.
From the first beat, the audience is drawn into a world where ambition collides with social codes and privilege is both absurd and deeply ingrained. Franks’ writing is wickedly funny, loaded with sharp observations and Scouse swagger, yet grounded in vulnerability. It’s satire with heart – punching up at elitism while holding space for the universal longing to belong.
Minimal staging works in the show’s favour, keeping the focus squarely on storytelling and performance. With clever shifts in voice, posture and rhythm, Franks slides between characters, class divides and emotional states with effortless precision. Critics have praised the work as engaging and hilarious while shining a light on identity and belonging – and it’s easy to see why.
“There’s a rhythm to the piece that feels almost musical: quick-fire humour, cultural commentary, then a pause that lands like a truth bomb. One moment the room erupts with laughter; the next, you feel the sting of recognition…”
Markus Hamence
There’s a rhythm to the piece that feels almost musical: quick-fire humour, cultural commentary, then a pause that lands like a truth bomb. One moment the room erupts with laughter; the next, you feel the sting of recognition. It’s bold, witty and unexpectedly moving.
Jade cleverly worked in with a couple of late-comers with hilarity, and not skipping a beat of the character (though needing a prompt from the sound desk of where she was ‘up to’ before taking off again – again, hilarious)
Beyond the laughs, Eat The Rich (but maybe not me mates x) resonates because it speaks to anyone who has ever code-switched, reinvented themselves, or felt caught between two worlds. It’s political without preaching, personal without self-indulgence and wildly entertaining from start to finish.
Verdict: Smart, fearless Fringe theatre that delivers laughs, insight and emotional punch in equal measure. A must-see for anyone craving storytelling with bite – and heart. Holden Street Theatres continues to deliver the goods and making this venue a stand-out Adelaide Fringe Hub of World-Class and World-Wide Quality Theatre.
Eat The Rich (But Maybe Not Me Mates X)
Tuesday 17 February – Sunday 22 March 2026
The Studio at Holden Street Theatres
Tickets
