🍫🍫🍫🍫 4 stars
At the top of his show, Rob Auton asks the audience to shut their eyes, beginning our journey into the heart and mind of this wonderful wordsmith. What lies ahead are hilarious anecdotes punctured by deeply reflective moments that somewhat catch you off-guard. Strap in for an hour of Auton bearing his soul:, beware you might bear some of yours, too.
Trust is at the root of this show. Getting a sold-out audience to close their eyes and let you lead the way is no mean feat, but Auton’s insanely likable persona means that there are no questions asked. He instructs us to feel our hearts, to push our thoughts into the back of our brains, to place them on our shoulders to feel their weight. He fosters intimacy in an instant, and once that has been created, he cracks a joke as the whole room exhales, filling it with warmth and welcome.
His comedy is a joyful balance of oddball and wit. Frequently, the jokes are silly, with a pun or two coming out to play (which is his right as a winner at wordplay). Silliness seems to be the audience’s raison d’etre; they wish to escape the severity of life, the endless deadlines, the mistakes they might have made. Auton is not immune to those mistakes, making him all the more real for fluffing a line, or announcing that he won’t be repeating a particular joke in the following show. The fact that it’s Auton alone onstage, half looking at his notes, half saying things as if this is the first time the thought popped into his mind, cannot be described as anything other than pure magic.
Magic is created not only in Auton’s words, but in the world that he creates. Sometimes frenetic, asking the audience to blink fast during disco lighting to create our very own strobe effect. Sometimes heavenly, with LED candles and a church choir in the background. Sometimes serene, with the moon shining down on Auton as he looks up at the beam, uttering some other beautifully crafted turn of phrase. At other times, Auton sticks a finger up at the production altogether, coming away from the mic like a preacher addressing his congregation, encouraging us all to listen, to see the smoke and mirrors for what they are.
In true Auton fashion, the finale is an inspiring, powerful, witty speech which feels like a hand outstretched towards the audience, asking us to come along to the next destination, the next big thing. And we agree to it. The connection is palpable, the faith is real, and the sense of community is unmatched. Auton asks himself during the show, what would he do if he wasn’t afraid? The answer is this: standing onstage, exactly where he is right now.
Tickets for Rob Auton: The Eyes Open and Shut Show
Words by Issy Cory
