EDINBURGH 2026: Review: AYO ADENEKAN: HOMELAND INSECURITY, Monkey Barrel
Ayo Adenekan shows why he is a comedian on the rise
After an incredible debut with his 2025 show Black Mediocrity, Ayo Adenekan returns to the Fringe with his second hour of stand-up comedy. With a season of SNL UK under his belt, Adenekan returns to his hometown with a newfound confidence, which allows him to craft another fine hour of comedy.
One thing you need to know about Ayo is that he’s a lover. He loves love. He loves Love Actually. And he uses Homeland Insecurity to talk about those that he loves the most: his parents, his friends, and even a summer fling from a few years ago.
The comedian opens the show with what may be the best opening gag of this year’s festival. “I’m a Black Scottish man, which means I love the clans, but I hate the Klan.” To further introduce himself to the audience, Adenekan discusses last year’s Fringe run. Specifically, how Red Bull sponsored his show, making him, in Ayo’s eyes alone, a Red Bull athlete. Unfortunately, Red Bull did not sponsor this year’s Fringe Run. One might even say they clipped his wings.
Keen to nab another sponsorship, there is a running visual gag about product placement throughout the show. It’s a funny bit, which comes with an excellent climax, but one that feels a little out of place. It is in this aspect that the material can come across as a little unpolished and lacking focus. As far as the jokes go, it is clear that the comic is a natural writer, but it is the storytelling that suffers as a result.
That said, Homeland Insecurity is not without its share of laughs. There may be only one or two big moments that truly have the audience in stitches, but for the most part, Ayo keeps the crowd laughing for the entire hour.
At only twenty-four years old, Ayo Adenekan may not produce the finest hour of comedy at this year’s festival, but it is clear to see why the young stand-up is already making waves. There might be room for improvement, but with a growing audience and two Fringe runs behind him, it is clear that the star has a bright future ahead.
Ayo Adenekan: Homeland Insecurity runs at Monkey Barrel until 30 August
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