Review: Rob Auton: The Crowd Show

Following two years of lockdown isolation, comedian and stand-up poet Rob Auton is back at the Fringe on a mission to bring people together. The Crowd Show encourages us to look after each other and savour every moment in a relaxed, authentic and funny hour.

Rob Auton is fascinated by people. He loves watching and listening to his fellow humans when he’s out and about, taking pleasure in momentarily being part of their story. Anchoring his observations in a list of tips for wedding speeches, he connects the dots between his own experiences and others, bridging the gap between the mundane and the existential. Comfortably chatting, pranking and playing games with the audience, you’d never think he gets nervous. Yet, it’s admitting his own insecurities that makes him so relatable.

Auton continually reminds us that we’re social beings by nature, hardwired to depend on each other, and we all have a purpose and place in the world. Towards the end, speaking over an emotive soundtrack, he slightly over labours this point, and just how happy he is to be here. But the crowd work is some of the best you’ll see at the Fringe because he genuinely loves his audience.