Sakellaris is a compelling all-round performe
As the lights hit the stage, it’s immediately clear we’re entering a pop shrine: an array of T-shirts emblazoned with icons from Madonna to Britney frames the space. Seconds later, Alexis Sakellaris bounds onto the floor. With lush, flowing hair, unmistakable New York drawl, and an easy-on-the-eye confidence, he has the audience in the palm of his hand within minutes, singing along to his catchy opening number, writes Luigia Minichiello.
Sakellaris’ musical comedy is a love letter to pop divas, queer survival, and the slightly unhinged comfort of obsession when you feel out of place in the world. From the outset, it’s obvious we’re watching a performer who knows exactly who they are and isn’t afraid to share it. Written and performed by Sakellaris, the show charts their move from New York City to rural Germany, a culture shock that feels both deeply personal and painfully relatable. Stripped of familiarity, community, and queerness-as-normality, Alexis clings to pop divas as a lifeline: Céline, Whitney, Mariah, Beyoncé, Gaga, Aretha.
Along the way, Sakellaris explains the term “stan”: a highly devoted fan, originating from Eminem’s 2000 song Stan, which he wryly reframes as a Greek tragedy , “one man killing another for love.” It’s a sharp, funny observation, but it also plants the show’s central question: can obsession protect us, or does it stop us from fully living?
Hair becomes a recurring and inspired theatrical device, used as a teleport to the divas whenever Alexis needs guidance. For a while, it seems to work. He’s invited to sing in the Christmas choir, tentatively finding his place. But when the chance to play football with the boys arrives, things unravel. A stray ball, a slur, and a moment of paralysis lead to the realisation that you “cannot stan your way through loneliness.”
Rescue comes from the girls, who drag him off the pitch to form his newly defined diva defence squad. Here, genuine friendships are born. Beneath the pop references and punchlines lies a sincere search for connection not just with idols, but with the divas in everyday life who help us survive.
Sakellaris is a compelling all-round performer, slipping effortlessly between characters and accents, though he occasionally lingers a beat too long with audience interaction, briefly breaking the illusion. By the end, this becomes unintentionally poetic as the same audience member has him pinned into a corner, screeching breathlessly in his face, proof that A Stan Is Born! has done exactly what it set out to do. Fresh, funny, and full of heart, this is a standout piece of queer musical comedy that deserves its continued success and a very devoted fanbase of its own.
