Baby Gorgeous Build Ups
Gryphon Theatre, 22 Ghuznee Street, Wellington
26/02/2025 - 28/02/2025
Production Details
Marshall Lorenzo: Writer / performer / producer
Marshall Lorenzo (Canada’s Drag Race) returns with a new take on his five-time NZ Fringe nominated sketch show, Baby Gorgeous, with Baby Gorgeous – Build Ups. The Toronto-trained Kiwi comedian delivers hilarious sketch comedy, woven together with outrageous characters, songs and parodies on a mission to slay society’s fear of stupid little Build Ups.
Comedy fans, prepare yourselves for a whirlwind of hilarity as Marshall dives headfirst into a world of chaos with Baby Gorgeous Build Ups, embodying a range of unforgettable characters while delivering razor-sharp commentary on the crushing weight of capitalism and the absurdities of modern life. Directed by Carly Heffernan (Artistic Director The Second City) this show is not about embracing your flaws, it’s about burying them in SkimsTM and chugging a wine – all through the lens of sharp and polished (queer) sketch comedy.
Marshall is a graduate of the Second City Conservatory (2014) – the training school of The Second City known for giving Catherine O’Hara, Steve Carrell, Amy Poehler and many more award-winning comedians and actors their start. Marshall was also nominated for the Second City Tim Sims Encouragement Fund Fresh Meat showcase. He is the former head writer of the multi-Canadian Comedy Award-winning troupe The Sketchersons, known for their famous show Sunday Night Live, modelled after Saturday Night Live. Since returning to New Zealand, Marshall has become a prominent fixture on the festival circuit with his acclaimed sketch show, Baby Gorgeous, which has earned five NZ Fringe nominations. His dynamic performances have captivated audiences at major events like the Auckland Pride Festival 2024, Auckland Fringe Festival 2024, Whangarei Fringe Festival 2024, and a hit run as part of Basement Theatre’s 2024 Spring Festival.
Whether you’re a long-time fan of sketch comedy or new to the genre, this show is not to be missed! Baby Gorgeous Build Ups is here to make you laugh, sing and maybe cry at life’s biggest build-ups!
Gryphon Theatre
26-28 February 2025
$25.00
https://tickets.fringe.co.nz/event/446:6099/
Sketch , Solo , Theatre , Comedy ,
50 mins
Takes the silly and mundane and shakes up our world
Review by Talia Carlisle 02nd Mar 2025
What a great weekend to dance your worries away, starting with Marshall Lorenzo’s dance party sketch comedy Baby Gorgeous Build Ups, making Gryphon Theatre the only place to be on Friday night.
Roars of laughter, cheers and an “oh God” confirm the audience is here for Marshall’s comedic insights into Wellingtonians’ shopping habits and loves of art, coffee and literature, making me ask: “Are you from Wellington?” To which our dancing queen answers no, he is from Auckland! Perhaps the two cities have more in common than we’d like to believe.
Each of Marshall’s clever sketches is interspersed with an upbeat dance break, where the music blares, the spotlight comes on, and his fun and attention-catching choreography breaks up the usual still set up of a comedy show, with which I am very much onboard.
Baby Gorgeous Build Ups takes the silly and mundane and shakes up our world to make us think more about what the books we’re not reading are telling us, and the artwork we’re not buying says of us. If you think about what you’re not doing this festival, why not?
Get out of the house, see some Fringe shows, check out the Newtown Festival, Homegrown and countless great opportunities on our doorstep.
And for goodness sake, DANCE because it makes life better, and so does comedy. Watch out for Marshall Lorenzo’s next show because it’s just the shake up from reality we need.
“Oh God” is quite the compliment, proving he is an OG sketch comedian with more to say, and we can’t wait to see more of Marshall soon.
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