Review of ‘Eat the Rich (but not me mates x)’: “Impoverished comedy fails to cover basic cheque-points”

Following a sold-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe, the show lands on the Soho Theatre’s stage for a limited run until the end of the month. Guillermo Nazara shares his views on the show to let us know if this droll comedy cashing in on the affluent is as prosperous as its subject.

It’s not Saltburn, but it might as well be. For the record, that wasn’t a compliment. If you enjoyed Emerald Fennell’s overpredictable homoerotic rehash, filled with as many plot holes and implausibilities as cocky narrative decisions, especially in the end, you might give this one a pass.

It’s different, though — you won’t see a cold-blooded sociopath with murderous tendencies plotting his chosen family’s demise. Instead, a young, painstaking Northerner works her way into Oxford by cleaning her rich peers’ filth.

Not as thrilling a premise in comparison to Fennell’s technicolor massacre, but the chances for a resonant, thought-provoking comment on class and privilege (a favourite in today’s social media’s arsenal of self-righteous words) are still there. For some reason, though, playwright Jade Franks refuses to grasp them.

We may still be able to do that reading, but the script isn’t too subtle about it. Still, none of its dramatic elements work to let that message permeate — not to its full potential, that is. When it comes to entertaining qualities, the situation gets rather poor. And unlike its main character’s background, it shouldn’t be taken with pride.

The germinal idea is moderately strong, but its execution is almost as weak as the protagonist’s dating choices. There is some enticement to it. And some aspects of the story are relatively compelling — her struggles to hide her day job as a housekeeper, striving to fit into a social circle she doesn’t belong to, speak to the hearts of anyone willing to listen. Yet, the overall impression is of an underdeveloped, slightly shallow, and deeply unimaginative creation.

Its clunky humour may be the culprit of its lack of appeal — at least, half of it. It might be intended as a comedy, but it’s not all that funny. In fact, it rarely is. For the most part, we’re drowned in a pool of bland punchlines with barely any wit and an often disappointing effect.

I’m all in for dumb satire, but it takes a lot of intelligence to deliver something deliciously silly. Sadly, this one just panders to the second half of the equation. And even if you’re starving, it comes off flavourless.

We’re still given an arc, and its approach is decent despite its general sketchiness. It’s not the most stirring instance of character growth, but we get to witness an evolution from her origins as a working-class ‘lost cause’, and the realisations she comes to after her experiences on the other side of the coin.

That isn’t enough, however. You may argue that its one-hour length makes it difficult to expand its themes any further. And that is true, but there’s also fat to trim, as some subplot lines aren’t that relevant to the recount.

In addition, the structure is incomplete. There is an attempt for a climax, but it’s a failed effort — there’s not sufficient buildup for it to hold grip, and its resolution is excruciatingly rushed. By the time we’ve begun to get caught in the tension, the whole thing has already gone loose.

Frank’s performance acts like another redeeming feature — possibly, the only one that remains faultless. She displays an adequate register when portraying different characters, and her stage presence is as commanding as it is inviting. So is her comedic timing, which ranks significantly higher than her written counterpart.

Money might make the world go around. This show, nonetheless, is likely to make few heads spin. It’s a shrewd concept despite its unoriginal nature. Yet, the absence of sharpness and overall feeling of regurgitation make Eat The Rich a hardly palatable piece, which offers us a tiny bite of brilliance in return for a generally slow and uncomfortable digestion. Some excerpts are still striking, but I think I was better off without this farce about the well-off.

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All pictures credit to Marc Brenner.

Eat The Rich plays at London’s Soho Theatre until 31 March. Tickets are available on the following link.

By Guillermo Nazara