one4review | On 15, Aug 2025

The blurb of 16 Summers describes the show as ‘a nostalgic coming-of-age tale traversing the building blocks of [Ayindè’s] identity’. To illustrate these memories, Ayindè presents a show which combines the mediums of stand-up and one-man theatre, while also introducing poetic and musical elements.

Utilising all these creative forms is certainly a unique and ambitious approach, and Ayindè is clearly a talented and capable performer. Unfortunately, such a bold undertaking means the first part of this show becomes a bit muddled, consisting of different stories of his life – such as his childhood in his family’s corner store and living in New York – interspersed with poems and raps which makes the pacing feel strange and the storytelling a bit disjointed. Thankfully, the latter section of the show makes up for this. The writing shines here, and the performance becomes a moving meditation on notions of masculinity and the experience of grieving a father-son relationship. Ayindè is great at interacting with the audience here, inviting them to think more closely about their own understandings of masculinity, and the limitations and expectations of such a concept. Compared to the first part in which this overall thread isn’t totally clear, these themes are thought-provoking and strongly illustrated in the second half.

Overall, Ayindè offers an engaging and dynamic performance and a show with a lot of potential.

***

Reviewed by Niamh O’Hara

The Space on the Mile

20.30 (55 mins)

Until 22 Aug