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Review: A Stan Is Born (The Other Palace Studio)
- All That Dazzles
- Jan 18
- 5 min read
Review by Daz Gale
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
They say never judge a book by its cover, but can the same be said for judging a show based on its artwork? When an invite landed in my inbox back in 2024 to a show called A Stan Is Born, I was immediately intrigued. With its artwork inspired by Mariah Carey’s iconic ‘Rainbow’ album cover, the lifelong Mariah obsessive in me was dying to go for that alone. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make the dates work and so watched from afar. It is a testament, however, that the show stayed in my mind despite all of this, and when I saw it was coming back to London for a few days this month, I knew it was time and jumped at the chance to right this wrong and experience the show for myself. I had a vision I would love this show as much as I do the elusive Chanteuse herself, but would that just have been a fantasy, or would I find myself truly obsessed?
A Stan Is Born isn’t just about Mariah Carey, however, It is about ALL divas. Well… most of them, at least. While many divas get a namecheck, others are absent as writer and performer Alexis Saellaris clearly “don’t know her”. The show is an autobiographical journey through Alexis’ life as they move from New York City to rural Germany and struggle to fit in with the other boys in school. They find comfort, however, through the discovery of divas, finding them in unexpected places and giving them the strength to conquer the bullies and find their own diva within.
First, let’s address the elephant in the room (a phrase that was brought to the UK by British diva Alexandra Burke), the term “stan” refers to somebody who is an obsessive fan of a particular celebrity, so you could say you were a stan for Beyoncé, Harry Styles or even Alison Hammond if that takes your fancy. The word was coined by Eminem in his song of the same name in 2000, with him and Mariah having a notoriously frosty relationship (Listen to her song ‘Clown’ if you are unaware), A Stan Is Born creates a nice full-circle moment as it centres it around a collection of divas.
It is a subject many will relate to, particularly gay men. Growing up, you can find yourself ostracised and “othered” if you don’t fit in with the other boys. Many take solace in their diva of choice, who provides a comfort blanket and guiding light for them through adolescence, remaining with them as they grow into their personalities. As you may have guessed, mine was Mariah Carey. While other kids my age were playing football in school, I was singing ‘Honey’ (some of the lyrics may have been a bit inappropriate for a kid to sing, but never mind). Alexis has channelled this collective yet often secretive love we all share and transformed it into a fabulous hour of song and story full of heart and humour.
What is particularly inspiring about A Star Is Born is the broad way it refers to divas. Celine Dion, Mariah Carey and Lady Gaga make appearances, with name checks to countless others, but there are other divas to be found in everyday life - all around you. Alexis talking about their love for those iconic Desperate Housewives was one such example, but so was the beautiful comparison of divas in their everyday life, namely their family and friends. Finding a diva inside your own mum was a gorgeous way of looking at it, and one that gave this show more meaning than I initially expected. It is a beautiful and inspiring way to correlate our love of divas with how we can extend it beyond pure fantasy and experience growth from our love of, let’s be honest, utter campness. The payoff for this was ultimately satisfying, with Alexis discovering the diva in themself a gorgeous way to wrap the show up.
What makes A Stan Is Born so enjoyable is Alexis Sakellaris. The warmth and charisma Alexis has on stage is infectious to watch, and though this is a scripted show, their repeated off-script and improvised moments to react to unexpected responses, tech issues or just how many people had filled the space at The Other Palace Studio endeared them even more. Alexis may be on stage alone (unless the divas represented in t-shirt form count), but they fill it with the presence and magnitude of some of the greatest divas that have come before them. Brilliantly funny and magnificently captivating, they are a joy to watch at every turn (and there are several of them to be found).
Though the show boasts 10 original live songs, some of them had to be cut in this iteration due to time restraints, which just gives me a reason to go back and see it another time. The songs present, however, are fantastically performed, with the closing number ‘I’m A Diva’ stuck in my head all the way home. Alexis’ vocals and musicality were a testament to their talent, matching their joyous nature and personality in their strengths.
We all have a diva inside of us, whether we want to admit it or not. With A Stan Is Born, Alexis has shone a light on the love of divas many of us have, and how this can be carried forward. To love a diva can be a saving grace, but it can also be carried with you to be used for good (to quote those Wicked divas, Elphaba and Glinda) and found in the most unexpected of places, as Alexis demonstrates. Judging A Stan Is Born by its cover, it may just be a camp and carefree show about loving these divas, but it stretches beyond that to showcase the power of loving them and the transformative abilities that can be found at the end of the rainbow. Wonderfully queer and creative, Alexis has created a beautifully accessible show that everybody will be able to relate to a little bit, no matter who your chosen diva is, ending all stan wars once and for all (well… apart from one, but you’ll need to get a ticket to find out which). With A Stan Is Born, Alexis Sakellaris is sure to get some super fans of their own, in a show that is definitely worth stanning.
A Stan Is Born played at The Other Palace Studio from 15th - 17th January. It can next be seen in London at Seven Dials Playhouse from 10th - 12th February.