REVIEW | Lorenzo, Soho Theatre
Ben Target in LORENZO. Photo by Jonny Ruff ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Reviewer - Bronagh
*Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review
‘What is your fantasy death?’ is the question the audience of Lorenzo are greeted with as they take their seats at the Soho Theatre. That, and the wonderful Ben Target offering out coffee from a flask. Attention was grabbed within the first minute of entering the theatre!
Lorenzo Wong was a Hong Kong-born architect, who moved in with Ben’s grandparents when he moved to London in the 1960s. He is Ben’s adopted uncle, the ‘fun’ one who is well in favour of ‘silly hour’ but also on hand to dish out advice whether this is about sexuality or in relation to Wagon Wheels.
The year is 2020. The year of hand sanitiser, ‘next slide please’ and Tiger King. For Ben, this is the year he moves in with Lorenzo to care for him following a stroke. This is intertwined with various childhood memories, where we learn that Ben often sought refuge in Lorenzo. Those tender moments are often accompanied by more candid moments, taking us from laughing out loud one second to feeling melancholic the next. Ben does not shy away from detailing how hard he found caring for Lorenzo but intertwines this with memories of Lorenzo being a great support to him. The only adult that made him feel safe.
I felt sad for Lorenzo when he heard a frustrated Ben wishing him dead while on a Zoom call. Then I chuckled at him sending Ben out to find a canned coffee drink that he used to drink as a child, despite knowing it had been discontinued years earlier! Moments like that made me miss Lorenzo, despite not knowing him.
The set for Lorenzo mainly comprises a carpenter’s bench, fully functioning as we find out in real-time! It also displays a model of Ben’s family home, where Lorenzo occupied the basement. What looks like a simple set is very effective, a nod to Lorenzo’s love of carpentry and his architectural career.
Lorenzo was an absolute triumph for me. The ending, and the show as a whole, is extremely powerful, captivating every single audience member and leaving us in awe of Ben’s talent. Part of me was disappointed it was only an hour long. Still, in hindsight, this was the perfect amount of time to pay tribute to Lorenzo. A short but sweet show that I won’t forget any time soon.
At Soho Theatre until 14 October 2023.
