Alexis Sakellaris: A Stan is Born! Review
Written by Harriet Joyce for Theatre and Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
New York born Queer international artist Alexis Sakellaris wrapped the UK leg of their one-man show, ‘A Stan is Born’, on Saturday 17th January. The studio located on the lower level of The Other Palace was an intimate space accompanied with a bar right of the stage, well suited for a comedy gig. While centre stage sat Alexis’ keyboard and their piano stand, doubling as a box to store their merchandise collection. Alexis staged impersonations of the same pop idols contained within this box, which also platformed the performer while they transitioned into the likes of Celine Dion and Lady Gaga.
The rest of Alexis’ merch collection was displayed along the stage’s back curtain. Pegged along this black curtain were Britney Spears, Sabrina Carpenter and Doja Cat, to name just a few examples of both old school and modern pop icons who formed a backdrop for the Brighton Fringe Best New Show Award Nominee’s journey of self-discovery. ‘A Stan is Born’ enacts as a love letter to stan culture and queer love, working chronologically through Alexis’ growing love for pop culture and journeying the audience through allegorical stories of overcoming self-doubt.
The show opens with the voice of his mother Livia and her voice over includes an anecdote on the earliest example of Alexis’ journey to becoming a stan, where he excitedly applauded his mother’s lullaby. Alexis appears once the lights come up, kitted in a t-shirt with the definition of the word ‘stan’, introducing his opening number “Stand Up For Your Stan” by hammering on the opening chord to weave in the suspense.
Alexis who has previously performed at Edinburgh Fringe and a Soho Theatre sellout Tour, supporting for Matt Rogers’ ‘Las Culturistas’, moved to rural Germany at 8 years old and has been singing, acting and dancing their way from place to place ever since, as they begin to embark on their tour of ‘A Stan is Born’ through America and Australia.
Audiences immersed themselves into pieces of exposition hilariously sprinkled throughout the collection of Bo Burnham inspired original songs, which incorporated Alexis’ rich, lower register. The charismatic performer combined monologues, singing, and storytelling, splicing up the musical numbers with a narration on the quintessential experiences of growing up queer. Thanks to Alexis’ ‘PhDiva in Stanology’, the performer makes being a diva seem natural, with quick wit and humorous line delivery. Alexis guides the audience through anecdotes surrounding their Greek and Italian heritage, initial gay awakenings, unattainable crushes on sporty heterosexuals and of course an infatuation with every female… artist.
But first Alexis makes their way to the front of the stage, and the audience is taken on a brief lesson of the etymology behind the ‘often disparaging’ term Stan, coined by Eminem within his 2000s hit of the same name, which narrates the tale of a fictionalised obsessive and stalkerish fan named Stan. Alexis also speed runs the audience through the history of every pop icon comprised within his extensive merch collection by enthusing over how every pop idol once had their idol too.
The opening number of the show ‘Stand Up For Your Stan’ particularly sets the tone for the innovative fusion of musical theatre and comedy, showcasing the musical theatre training they gained from Mountview academy and warming the audience up for some crowd participation by using call and response as Alexis begins listing different fandoms and initiating cheers from audience members depending on how much the audience resonated. The rest of the verses were an amalgamation of jokes about ticket master, fears of being alone and elements of discourse surrounding their idols’ attempts or lack thereof to be activists. Alexis also anchored the hilarious juxtaposition between the delivery of verses enthusing over their idol’s change in hair or choice of boyfriend (Yawn!) with an expansive variety of facial expressions.
While hilarious, the show still made room for deeply personal, honest, heartfelt moments, particularly when the show reaches a lull. This temporary dip in energy and laughter shows the challenges of navigating the courage to explore your sexuality and the path to following your dreams. ‘Women aren’t perfect’ uses cancel culture as an analogy and shows how the people we idolise may not always live up to the ideals we’ve curated, however much we may fantasise for them to. Beginning as a more tender number, the track, which, along with the rest of the ‘A Stan is Born’ soundtrack, is available to listen to on Spotify, takes the audience on a crash course of the history of famous female popstar scandals, including accusations of homophobia and queerbaiting.
Alexis kept the audience engaged, and the momentum of the show stayed on a high right through to the encore, where he innovatively uses an audience member to help him with his quick change. ‘I’m a Diva’, the final encore, filled the audience with Alexis’ admirable optimism, as does stan culture, bringing light and escapism to an otherwise currently difficult world.
★★★★
