From Cleaning Toilets to Center Stage
Jade Franks’ life could be mistaken for a script about ambition gone rogue: a working‑class student at Cambridge, navigating full‑time studies while scrubbing loos. It was in the rhythm of mops and cleaning chemicals that she found the spark for a voice she would later channel into Eat the Rich (But Ma…). What began as a double life—academic rigor by day, menial labor by night—became the unlikely incubator for a sharp, unapologetic piece of theatre that refuses to water down its fury.
Double Life, Singular Purpose
While peers pursued polo ponies and privileged circles, Franks chose the grout and the glare of fluorescent lights. The experience of cleaning public and private spaces on a prestigious campus gave her a raw primer in social contrast: the visible gloss of Cambridge on one side, the hidden labor that keeps any institution running on the other. She has spoken about not diluting the anger she felt because of those disparities—she’s simply finding a back door to let it in through the stage.
How the Experience Shaped Eat the Rich
The play Eat the Rich (But Ma…) is unapologetically political, drawing on real-world class tensions and the emotional gravity of working-class persistence. Franks uses bold dialogue and a brisk, provocative tone to spotlight privilege, power, and the everyday indignities people endure to keep society functioning. The central question she poses is not about condemnation alone but about accountability and the ways society consumes its own disillusionment.
Performance as Protest
Franks treats theatre not just as entertainment but as a conduit for social critique. Her background events—mopping floors, balancing coursework, and confronting class-based assumptions—enable her to write scenes that feel lived‑in and urgent. The resulting play balances wit with critique, letting audiences recognize themselves in the power dynamics it dramatizes. By channeling the intensity she once directed toward scrubbing facilities into stage energy, she has crafted a work that lingers long after the curtain falls.
The Fury, Sneaked Through the Back Door
In interviews, Franks has described her strategy as “not watering down the fury—just sneaking it through the back door.” The metaphor captures her aim: to slip a forceful critique into mainstream theatre without sacrificing punch, pace, or accessibility. This approach helps the production reach a wide audience while preserving its core intent: to challenge audiences to confront uncomfortable truths about class and privilege.
<h2 What This Means for British Theatre
Eat the Rich stands as a case study in how personal experiences can become potent cultural commentary. Franks’ Cambridge chapters—where she balanced labor with study—underline a trend in contemporary theatre: empowered, working-class voices reshaping the stage narrative. The play’s success signals a broader appetite for works that blend sharp social analysis with accessible storytelling, proving that material drawn from ordinary, often unseen labor can translate into compelling, theatre‑level impact.
Looking Ahead
As Franks continues to develop Eat the Rich and pursue new projects, the theatre world is paying attention to a writer who refuses to sanitize the discomfort of inequality. Her journey—from cleaning loos on a university campus to winning acclaim for a provocative new work—offers a blueprint for artists who want to blend lived experience with fearless storytelling.
