Reviewed by: On Your Markus
There’s a moment in A Stan Is Born where the room shifts – where the laughs, the camp, the chaos all click into something sharper, something real – and suddenly you realise this isn’t just a cabaret, it’s a full-throttle identity reveal dressed up in pop obsession.
Alexis Sakellaris commands the stage like someone who’s lived every lyric they’re about to throw at you. This is fandom turned inside out. Not the polished, PR-approved version of loving your idols – but the messy, all-consuming, scream-the-chorus-in-your-bedroom kind. And that’s exactly where the show finds its edge.
“…clever, chaotic and knowingly dramatic in all the right ways…” Markus Hamence
Built around the idea of what it means to be a ‘stan’, the performance dives deep into the culture of idol worship and flips it into something personal. It’s not just about the divas – though they’re absolutely in the DNA of the show – it’s about what those voices represent when you’re trying to figure yourself out. There’s humour threaded through every beat, but it never undercuts the honesty. If anything, it makes it hit harder.
Vocally, Sakellaris is locked in – big notes, clean runs, and just enough theatrical flair to keep things unpredictable. But the real hook is the delivery. There’s attitude here. A cheeky, self-aware swagger that leans into the absurdity of pop culture while still celebrating it. The original material lands with a punch too – clever, chaotic and knowingly dramatic in all the right ways.
What elevates the show is its connection with the audience. It doesn’t sit back and wait for applause – it pulls you in, dares you to come along for the ride. One minute you’re laughing at a razor-sharp gag, the next you’re caught in a moment that feels oddly personal. That push and pull keeps the whole thing alive, unpredictable, and completely engaging.
“A Stan Is Born is loud, clever and unapologetically theatrical…” Markus Hamence
And beneath all the glitter and high-camp energy, there’s a clear throughline: the idea that being a ‘fan’ is often the first step in becoming yourself. That somewhere between mimicking your heroes and screaming their songs, you start to find your own voice.
Wrap-up: ‘A Stan Is Born’ is loud, clever and unapologetically theatrical – a cabaret that turns pop devotion into something deeply human. It’s equal parts chaos and clarity, delivered with confidence, charisma, and just the right amount of bite.