Comedian Marshall Lorenzo reflects on his sketch-comedy roots, writing for Canada’s Drag Race, and the absurdity of capitalism.
Two decades after penning cheeky op-eds for YOUR EX, Marshall Lorenzo is back, this time on the other side of the keyboard. Reflecting on those early days, the Kiwi comic doesn’t hold back. “The absolute audacity! If I could bottle and sell the delusion of a demon twink with no boundaries, I would not still be renting in this post-John Key world,” he says, laughing. “From what I remember, my columns were mainly advice on how to get free drinks from straight guys. Nothing’s changed!”
Now, Lorenzo is wrapping up his sketch-show trilogy ‘Baby Gorgeous’ with Decadunce—a theatrical deep dive into fraud, excess and the ridiculousness of modern capitalism. Why frame his shows as a trilogy? “In my two previous shows, I hinted at the fall of capitalism. In this one, I’ve agreed to go down with the ship,” he explains. “Like rehoming cleanskin wine into a Kim Crawford bottle or screaming at a Briscoes just to feel something.”
Best known for his irreverent, sketch-based comedy, Lorenzo has long favoured the format over traditional stand-up. “It’s just a more theatrical way to present jokes,” he says. “Sketch allows you to package ideas in different ways—internal monologues, villain characters, absurd premises. I love playing the villain. David Seymour, anyone?”
His time abroad sharpened his comedic skills. A graduate of the prestigious Second City Conservatory, Lorenzo led Canada’s top sketch troupe and even made his mark writing for Canada’s Drag Race. “Structure, structure, structure! That’s the big takeaway,” he says. “But the ability to pivot fast was the best lesson I got from Drag Race. Those jokes when they walk the runway? They’re written live. I’d be hammering out punchlines into an earpiece as they hit the catwalk. SO fun.”
Lorenzo was scouted for Drag Race after producers saw him performing at a weekly sketch show in Toronto where he was head writer. “It was kind of like Saturday Night Live,” he recalls. “They saw me in a live pressure cooker.” And while he won’t spill much tea without a drink in hand, he does offer a cryptic note: “There’s a reason the acting challenges are so bad. But you’ll have to buy me a drink for that story.”
Decadunce also takes aim at the state of the world. “We’re done. Cooked,” Lorenzo says bluntly. “I absolutely see violence in my lifetime. We’re talking about powerful people who were bullied in high school, exacting economic revenge on the population. But sure, let’s keep politely asking billionaires to ‘stop that’.”
Despite the grim themes, audiences have responded enthusiastically across international Fringe festivals. “Kiwi crowds are either super polite or totally devoid of boundaries—there’s no in-between,” he laughs. “Even Canadians are flirtier after a show. Come on Auckland!”
So what’s next for the comic after his final Baby Gorgeous course? “I’m quitting to become a turnip farmer,” Lorenzo deadpans. “You’ll find me homed up in Cambridge with a small Lutheran woman named Myrtle. Or most wanted in a Westmere Facebook group—I haven’t decided yet.”
‘Decadunce’ will be performed at Auckland’s Basement Theatre from 21 to 23 August. Tickets from basementtheatre.co.nz
