Following the success of this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival, A STAN IS BORN! returns to London with runs at The Other Palace Studio,15-17 January, and Seven Dials Playhouse, 10-12 February. Alexis will then perform at the Adelaide Fringe Festival and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
Written and performed by Alexis, A Stan Is Born! features 10 original songs that follow their drastic move from New York City to rural Germany, where an intense obsession with pop divas becomes their only salvation. Céline, Whitney, Mariah, Beyoncé, Gaga, Aretha. You name ‘em, they got ‘em. A true STAN.
QX spoke to Alexis about their career, their love for being an entertainer, and their latest show, A Stan Is Born!
What initially inspired you to pursue a career as an entertainer, and how did you get started in the industry?
Oh, I’ve been singing/performing/annoying my family ever since I can remember! I started out singing in church and local school productions. I’ve always been drawn to the stage as a home for those who feel different (and boy did I feel different…) I went to drama school for musical theatre in Vienna and London (after getting derailed by 2 years of med school in Salzburg LOL), but I actually never saw myself becoming a comedian. Part of growing up cross-culturally meant never fully understanding the humour of the place I was in (though I secretly loved accidentally making someone laugh!) It was only when comedian Matt Rogers heard me singing in the Soho Theatre office (my day job) and asked me to support him on tour that I became HOOKED. I witnessed firsthand how one could combine singing with original writing to create a new artform… musical comedy!
How important is your TikTok fame for your stage success?
TikTok is a funny thing because it’s never the videos you expect that go viral! And the content you spend hours researching and editing often doesn’t do the numbers you want… So I’ve learned not to rely on it too much. It’s a nice thing to have, of course, and I see friends and colleagues absolutely killing it on there. But I will always be a live performer first and foremost <3 I have my fun on it, I sometimes go viral for the most random things (German politics, a Ziwe interview, breaking down the female saints in Rosalía’s new album… randomista AF). It just spits you out to users all over the world, so there’s no guarantee it will translate to a live audience. But it’s so nice when a video finds its niche, and I’m able to connect with strangers over something!
What have been the highlights of your career?
I’m so lucky to have several already, even though I just got started! Touring the US with Matt Rogers in 2023 was a humongous highlight, I mean, what a first gig to have! Selling out Soho Theatre with my show in 2024 also meant a great deal, since that’s where everything started. After a year of just doing my solo show, I had my very first standup gig in February 2025, which was so scary. I got to audition for SNL UK and was nominated for my first award EVER, Best New Show at Brighton Fringe! I performed in NYC for the first time, had a sellout hometown show in Zurich, and then a multiple sellout at the Edinburgh Fringe! That was wild and possibly the biggest achievement of my career so far. Last but not least, I JUST got nominated for the 2026 Musical Comedy Awards, so stay tuned!
Your latest show, A Stan Is Born, is a comedy musical. Have you always had a love of comedy and music?
I have, but it took SO long to recognise. I was obsessed with Glee growing up, which is officially a musical comedy-drama, though it’s SO whacky (especially on a rewatch). My childhood media diet consisted of Desperate Housewives, That’s So Raven, Hannah Montana, and Avatar: The Last Airbender, which all incorporated comedy and music to an extent. But drama school sadly made me stifle my comedic impulses (you take yourself SO seriously there…) and I focused only on my singing and acting for a while. Moving to London changed that; here, people were responding to my sense of humour as well as my voice. I discovered Bo Burnham, Cat Cohen, Rachel Bloom in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, musical comedians with great voices. That’s what’s missing for me in the current landscape, the singing part. Often, it becomes the punchline (“look how ugly my voice is”) when actual musicianship can only elevate the material!
In A Stan Is Born, you try to convert local German townspeople to Stans. What is a Stan?
To anyone who doesn’t know what “stan” means, rest assured! I lay it all out, right at the top of the show, to get everyone on the same page. I’m aware it’s a somewhat niche Gen Z term, but the pun on “A Star Is Born” was simply TOO tempting. A “stan” is essentially a super-fan, an extremely enthusiastic and obsessive fan of someone or something. It’s derived from a 2000 Eminem song named “Stan”, which tells the (fictional!) story of an obsessive male fan of Eminem’s, named Stan. He becomes so consumed with his obsession, he ends up killing himself and his pregnant girlfriend (played by Dido… diva down) to gain Eminem’s attention. So “stan” can also mean “stalker fan”… BUT over the years, in typical Gen Z fashion, we’ve given the word a new meaning. Come to the show to find out what MY interpretation of “stan” is!
How did you come up with this concept for the show?
It would’ve never happened without Mountview, my drama school! My major was musical theatre, but we had to complete this module called the Creative Project to graduate. Each student had to fill the stage for 30 minutes and then write a paper on it. No instructions, no guidelines, no limitations. I was STUMPED.
Meanwhile, I took up that day job at Soho Theatre for some extra cash and was suddenly exposed to a world of autobiographical solo shows. I didn’t know that was an option! I started thinking about how I’d write my own show. I’ve always loved pop divas, so the idea started with a tribute. That evolved into honouring the real women in my life, my mother, my sister, my godmother, my female friends… the REAL divas. Then I sat down and started improving at the piano to get some original songs going, and the rest is history!
Which are the musical numbers that the audience will enjoy the most?
For me, the opening number “Stand Up For Your Stan” holds a special place in my heart, as it’s the very first song I wrote for the show. It’s so upbeat and kind of unhinged and sets the tone for what’s to come. But I think the biggest earworm will definitely be the closing number, “I’m A Diva”. It’s such a fun empowerment anthem that I really hope people will be singing on their way out. I released it as a single over the summer, and it’s gotten such lovely feedback so far! I can also imagine the tongue-in-cheek, repetitive nature of “Lil Gay Diva” sneaking its way into the audience’s ears… The entire album drops January 1st. I’d be over the moon if you checked it out!
What are you hoping viewers take away from watching the show?
I’d love (especially queer) people to think about the impact of women in their lives and the safe spaces they provide. As we come out, it’s easy to leave our past behind and focus on our chosen family. That’s valid, but I wouldn’t be where I am today without those special women and girls in my life growing up. I’d also love to stimulate conversations around queerness in childhood. One of my goals is to develop this (or anything!) into a kids’ show, à la Sunday morning cartoons. So far, there’s little to no representation of queer-coded children onscreen, and I’d love to dive into what queerness looks like before physical attraction comes into play. But ultimately, I just hope audiences leave feeling uplifted! The show, at its core, is meant to encourage people to stan themselves. Because if you can’t stan yourself… how the hell you gonna stan somebody else?!
A STAN IS BORN! returns to London with runs at The Other Palace Studio, 15-17 January, and Seven Dials Playhouse, 10-12 February.
Alexis will then perform at the Adelaide Fringe Festival and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
