‘Timekeeping isn’t your thing, you w***ers,’ was the first thing one frazzled couple heard on arriving – from every member of the audience.
But that wasn’t symbolic of the hour to come.
There aren’t any cheap laughs here (although the late-comer gag was very funny). Apart from one about clingfilm, which – as clingfilm sometimes does – didn’t quite land.
But that’s okay. The slightly chaotic approach to his show with A4 pages of crinkled reminders is one this Yorkshire man can get away with, as his likability oozes into the bellies of the audience, keeping them on the precipice of a chuckle throughout.
Rob is just so… nice. And funny. Very funny. And quite odd (in a good way). He’s proved that time and time again over the years having made joyous hours of comedy from topics like yellow, water, sleep, and hair. Yep, really.
We know he doesn’t need a childhood tale to be hilarious and current – not like most other Fringe frolickers. But this year he’s done just that. Enter a show about Rob Auton, as the comedian takes us through his childhood memories and up to the present day.
One particularly effective moment saw the lights dim and cheesy piano music take over, while Rob went into a poetic trance-like state while describing (with quite unbelievable detail) the thought process of a tooth fairy when presented with a c**k ring in place of a tooth. Long story.
When Rob lets his thoughts meander into obscurity, he truly shines. While most comics can reminisce about a cricket match in childhood gone wrong, I am sure no one can think like Rob Auton.
Much like when materials are put under a microscope and become these iridescent, beautiful things, Rob sees the world in a different dimension and therein lies his genius that keeps punters returning year after year.
Superfluous self-depreciation sometimes cuts through the fun, but it’s all padded out into a big comedy hug by Rob’s insatiable appetite for – as he mentions repeatedly – the ‘human experience’.
Moments of reflection undulated through the surprisingly pacey set, for a comedian who has been lauded for his ‘sloth-like’ dead-pan delivery. His poetry captures his creative spirit and lingers on when the laughs die down.
Rob isn’t just a giggle-a-minute man, but thoughtful, and endlessly fascinated by the world’s ‘magical everyday’. His earnestness in thanking the audience for his sell-out show comes from a big, open heart. It’s easy to see how Rob has earnt his crown as the nicest man in stand-up.
It seems with his more personal show, Rob has tried on some new shoes for his Edinburgh Fringe this year, and they do fit… But are they really him?
I suppose finding out is all part of the human experience. And that’s why – clingfilm jokes or not – Rob Auton is so darn watchable and will continue to be for many years to come.
Rob Auton brings his brand new show, The Rob Auton Show, to Assembly Roxy, Upstairs as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe from August 2 to 26 at 14.25pm, then on tour. For more info and tickets, visit
