This show - at Assembly Roxy - starts with Rob Auton’s take on a guided meditation, which with his languid delivery and Yorkshire accent, turns out to be actually quite soothing. The stage lights are turned off and Auton asks us to close our eyes and imagine ourselves in a room with our eyes closed. Hence the title, Rob Auton: The Eyes Open and Shut Show
He has an ability to highlight the beauty in the mundane
He then asks us to imagine our national insurance number and abruptly requests for the lights to come back on and asks, “Who genuinely knows their NI number?” Auton lets us know that “punchlines are not my priority when coming up with my creativity,” and while it’s true he doesn’t follow the typical rhythms of a stand-up show, he has an ability to highlight the beauty in the mundane with a lyricism not everyone possesses.
A few times, he says, “I know what you’re thinking: this material isn’t connecting,” which is odd to not just say but to repeat to a practically sold out room. One would think Auton has been performing enough now, including his own tours and TV appearances, to know that people know what they’re in for when they go to one of his shows. That being a blend of pithy jokes and general musings, some of which are also funny, like “blinking is at the perfect volume for blinking.” Maybe he says it to settle his own anxiety, as he does trip over his words here and there.
It has become the trendy thing to ensure to include a profound message in comedy shows - usually something along the lines of living life to the fullest - and Auton’s is no different, but it definitely is less ham-fisted and feels more like something he authentically tries to live by.
