Lamesha Ruddock
This was a beautifully funny comedy set where Ayo tells his version of events of growing up in Scotland. Tackling respectability politics, racism, and homophobia, he says it how it is and how it was. Ayo offers a bold, unfiltered look into his life, inviting us to laugh thunderously and genuinely feel seen.
Ayo Adenekan: Black Mediocrity is a masterfully sharp and brilliantly delivered testimony on identity and the lengths one goes to leave a mark. From the recurring motif of Edinburgh University’s expansion into former hospital sites to the poetic repetition of “wee shop” to “big shop,” the show leans into culturally specific ideas familiar to British audiences across generations. Through authoritative world-building, Ayo grounds the piece in a larger story about conformity and the pressure to belong.
Performed and written by Ayo Adenekan, Black Mediocrity is rooted in his family’s migration from Nigeria to Scotland in the 1990s, a time when Trainspotting felt all too real. Through vivid backstory building and social commentary, Ayo unpacks key moments in his life where he had the opportunity to make his mark from his Year 1 – 3 nativity plays to becoming headboy (a loaded title) revealing a nuanced reckoning with Black excellence and his hyper-visibility as a Black queer man.
Gorgeous, rhythmic, and dynamic storytelling anchors Black Mediocrity, with skillful repetition that keeps focus on key words and stories primed for subtle callbacks. Ayo’s skill in direction and dialogue shines, he is a wordsmith whose storytelling ranged from punching out jokes, riffing off the audience, and stuttering with intentional cleverness. He creates space for jokes to land alongside harsh realities, building to a crescendo that invites us to question why he accepted Black mediocrity after a lifetime chasing Black excellence. The ever-present Red Bull fridge becomes a brilliant meta device, allowing Ayo to seamlessly weave in humorous commentary on corporate sponsorship, adding another clever layer to this richly textured performance.
Black Mediocrity is bold and witty, embracing being ordinary with humor and heart. Sometimes your mum loves you unconditionally, and that’s alright.
Hilarious. Outspoken. Eons from mediocre.
You can catch Ayo Adenekan: Black Mediocrity from 30th July – 24th August at Monkey Barrel Cabaret Voltaire from 1:30pm (60mins). Tickets are available through the EdFringe Online Box Office.
Jasmine Silk
Phoebe Bakker
