In his stand up debut, Zak Vasiliou has hit the jackpot. Twinky Twinky Little Star is a tight, polished and brilliantly executed 50 minutes of stand up that makes some seasoned professionals look amateur.

Zak is a natural storyteller, and in this show he tells of his own coming out, the obvious signs to the world that he was gay and how oblivious his parents were. Zak also delves into his own journey striving to fit into the LGBTQI+ community. This is all beautifully presented through an extremely well written script. Storytelling and connecting to an audience comes naturally to Zak, and it isn’t long before you get swept up in his charismatic charm.

Zak packs so much into this 50-minutes show, but the time flies fast. The way Zak sets up a punchline is excellent. He knows where to pause for effect, how to land a punchline and then drive it home with another so you barely have time to breathe.

Among the jokes are some wonderfully tender and heart-felt moments. Zak’s coming out story to parents, whilst humorous, really pulled at the heartstrings. Zak’s parents feature heavily in the show — from totally missing the signs he was gay through to the unconditional support they have shown him since. The message of being who you are and following your dreams is strong in this show. You leave not only with your face hurting from the laughter, but with a wonderful warm feeling. It is a brilliantly crafted show.

If this is the quality that this brilliant young performer has on offer for his stand up debut, I am very excited to see what’s next.