In the form of a stand-up comedy set, Live, Laugh, Lawrence tells the story of former Drag Queen Monty Montgomery’s transition from watermelon-vape-puffing, e-scooter-riding, Auckland, to the small South Island town of Lawrence. From her first experiences of small-town gossip to the treacherous waters of the South Island man, her journey has clearly offered up a wealth of material.

Monty takes the stage of her first solo show in a fabulous sequinned suit, with a strong stage presence and charming energy (despite a hint of nervousness). Aided by the intimate venue, she works up a good rapport with the crowd, opening with crowd-work and continuing to find a back and forth throughout. There were some slightly awkward moments where the crowd response didn’t align with her prepared material, but she played this off well enough. 

The show clearly has a specific target audience, and the crowd was mostly made up of Lawrence residents – as we learned from a ‘hands up who’s from Lawrence?’ section, with many hands raised. While you don’t need to be from Lawrence to enjoy the show, it’s certainly geared towards those with some familiarity with the small-town South Island experience. Some of her jokes (particularly those about being mistaken for a man) walk the line between lighthearted and offensive, but she ultimately seems to get away with it. Her set could suffer from being a little top heavy, as most of her best material is used up in the first half, trailing off in the middle, but still managing to end with some laughs.

Live, Laugh, Lawrence may be a bit rough around the edges, but it offers a fun night out for those seeking local humour and a chance to snag some lollies at the end.

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