Hannah Hamilton
A summer fling turns sour, and Ayo’s moving on. Off the back of winning ISH’s Best Newcomer in 2025 and after his first term of writing for SNL UK, Adenekan is back in Scotland looking for love… and a new sponsorship.
It’s good to see that his time in London hasn’t made him less funny, although I’m sure we were all worried it would. Ayo is effortlessly charming, he’s always had a talent for getting the audience onside and it still stands. Adenekan walks us through relationships, coming out, B&Q, and old jobs in this new comedy hour.
Who knew he’d find love over pulled pork? A self-confessed romcom lover, Ayo tells us of his own ‘meat’-cute with a showgirl at the Edinburgh Fringe. The story serves as an anchor for the rest of his material, which meanders to and from the topic. Although he begins the show this way, it meanders a touch too much to be a solid theme. He explains that his time working at Oink! (beloved Edinburgh pulled pork joint), where he met the girl, was formative, although a bit perplexing to his ‘little bit’ Muslim parents. Adeneken shows real skill as he steers the material from punchline to punchline, never losing the audience.
Perhaps the best material came from his relationships with straight men. Whether it was watching his Dad finesse a discount in B&Q, or coming out to his straight friends, he’s lovingly mocking of the straight man. Quite right. The show is a bit of a biopic, touring the mundane and delightful parts of his life. He talks about his family relationships like meeting his family in Nigeria, being at their farm and feeling significantly less capable than them. The material draws from his own life and experience, so at times it can feel very conversational. He touches on his experience in London with SNL UK, but this is very much a show about his life before, and it’s all the more interesting for it. Although his name on SNL UK is a well deserved achievement and a big draw for audience, Adeneken doesn’t rely on it for material.
Adeneken is certainly maturing as a comedian and the steadiness and craft of this material is its own proof. It is, however, apparent that there’s a little ways to go yet. The overall narrative of this hour is a bit meandering and doesn’t draw itself to any significant conclusions. It is introduced as a love story, but this doesn’t really see enough of the material to be true. Nonetheless he’s still the same comic that started out at Monkey Barrel not so long ago, still just as witty and sharp with his observations.
Adeneken keeps it light-hearted and silly in this show with a lot of positive vibes. It’s a very easy listen; Ayo’s conversational tone makes for a fun, chilled-out show – yet, you will definitely be laughing.
Recommended Drink: This is a pint of cider kind-of show, it’s easy, it’s sessionable, and the mark of a good time.
Catch Ayo Adeneken: Homeland Insecurity from 4th to 30th August from 14.35 (60mins). Tickets are available through the EdFringe Box Office.
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