When Ben Targét was nominated for Best Newcomer at the 2012 Edinburgh Comedy Awards, he was set on the path to becoming a critically acclaimed, multi-award-winning performance artist.

Eight years later, amidst a global pandemic, he gave it all up to become the live-in carer for his uncle: an irascible octogenarian prankster called Lorenzo Wong.

LORENZO is their story, a show that confronts the messiness of ageing and dying through the medium of storytelling, servitude to the audience and live carpentry, a combination not seen on the world stage since Nazareth circa 30AD.

This book is the full script of that life-affirming show, with illustrations by Targét himself. It was directed by Adam Brace, and was premiered at Summerhall, Edinburgh, during the 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where it was awarded a Fringe First. It subsequently transferred to Soho Theatre, London.

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'A beautiful and wise work'

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'Very lovely... a joyful and philosophical show... a heartfelt hour about tough times and the people who quietly help us survive them'

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'An exploration of the sorts of things that give life meaning... completely engaging... very funny and very moving... a life-affirming tale that is warm and whimsical, but fundamentally all about human connection'

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'A moving and courageous piece of theatre'

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'The ultimate celebration of life. I've never laughed and cried so much at the same show'

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'A joyous celebration of what it means to love deeply'

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'A deeply affecting, tender and funny story of love and loss'

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'A beautiful and touching insight into life'

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'Ben Target is a master storyteller... The play is as heartfelt as it is disarmingly funny... a truly beautiful piece of work'

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'A heartfelt true story about providing end-of-life care to a family member during COVID, told in such a way that is never predictable and always, oddly, a pleasure'

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'A testament to the art of storytelling... captures the humanity, tragedy and humour of life with a seeming ease'

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'A masterclass in storytelling theatre, with the audience completely and utterly gripped throughout. It's beautiful and captivating and a sad story becomes utterly joyful in the hands of our charismatic host'