by **** (out of 5)
Rob Auton is here, once more, for the human experience. After nine previous Fringe runs, which Auton helpfully brings audiences up to speed on in his opening minutes, he has focused on themes with The Yellow Show, The Sleep Show, The Talk Show, The Hair Show, The Sky Show, The Face Show, and more. For his 10th Fringe show, Auton finally realizes it’s long past time to bring us up to speed on him, on Auton’s life, on his human experience. What’s his story?
From his first memory to his first comedy gig, from first dates to first jobs in a restaurant or an advertising agency, Auton looks back on it all, often whilst looking at his notes, as always. On that note, Auton notes a reviewer once compared him to an unprepared best man. Truth is, perhaps the opposite. Perhaps Rob prepares too much. He wrote a new bit just for the show I saw on Saturday. There’s so much going on in his mind that he has to put pen to paper, and then put the paper in his hands to keep track of it all. Auton describes himself instead as someone with splinter focus, trying to pull something out of his hands or his brain and hoping it’ll be useful or beneficial. He is going somewhere, eventually, he promises. Along the way, he enjoys observations that produce the whimsical wonder of what?!? And he’s got a lyrical way of doing so. Auton is a poet, after all. No wonder Daniel Kitson likes him.
Auton’s show opens and closes with the riffs from The Offspring’s 1998 hit, “The Kids Aren’t Alright.” It certainly gets you in a proper mood to enjoy the human experience, both during and after the show.
But don’t worry. This bearded stick-figured grown-up kid who stands before you is still alright.
Rob Auton: The Rob Auton Show runs through Aug. 26 at Assembly Roxy Upstairs
