Review: Ayo Adenekan – Black Mediocrity, Fringe 2025

Ayo Adenekan’s debut hour, Black Mediocrity, is a deeply personal and funny exploration of growing up as a young person of colour and queer person in Edinburgh.

The show’s central theme is the paradox Adenekan has faced since Primary One: the simultaneous desire to fit in and the need to stand out. It’s a struggle he navigates with sharp wit and heartfelt honesty, delivering a Fringe hour that is very much a story about Edinburgh and the man it has shaped.

An Edinburgh Story

This show is rooted in the stone and streets of Scotland’s capital. Adenekan jokes that while the city has moved on from its Trainspotting image, it’s now the city of Harry Potter — which, as he notes, is problematic for entirely different reasons. This is the world he has navigated his whole life; a city that, while better for a person of colour than in the 80s or 90s, is still far from perfect.

This life-long tightrope walk between assimilation and individuality has given him a unique perspective. From fighting to become Head Boy at school to dropping out of university multiple times, his story is one of searching for a place. Now, he’s fighting for his place on the notoriously brutal comedy circuit, and as he proves in this show, his 23 years of experience in trying to fit in and stand out have given him a formidable toolkit.

Nothing Mediocre Here

Let’s be clear: there is nothing mediocre about Black Mediocrity. This is a fun, heartfelt, and authentic hour of comedy from a charismatic and intelligent rising star. The material is impressively well-written, and it is easy to see why Adenekan is a So You Think You’re Funny? (SYTYF) finalist and the recipient of funding to support his Fringe run. He is one to watch.

His talent is already drawing a crowd. I saw the show at noon on a weekday at the Monkey Barrel, and the room was impressively full with a mixed audience of London visitors and local residents. For this early in the festival, at this time of day, a full room is a powerful signal. Adenekan, tall and instantly likeable, holds the stage with ease and delivers completely.

Overall

Ayo Adenekan is at the very beginning of his journey, but he has arrived with a powerful, funny, and polished debut. He has taken his personal story of navigating race and sexuality in Edinburgh and turned it into a universally relatable and genuinely impressive hour of stand-up. I predict he’ll be back next year, bigger and better than ever. A definite recommendation.