ROB AUTON has been in the comedy business for over 15 years, with yearly shows at the Edinburgh Fringe and numerous ventures into different mediums since he began performing live in 2008.
After his first full hour of stand-up, The Yellow Show, debuted in 2012, Rob is now touring his 10th show, The Rob Auton Show.
It is billed as his most Auton-biographical show to date.
Rob says: “My first show was about the colour yellow, followed by one about the sky I always try to focus in on a single subject.
“I got to my last show, Crowds, and decided to do one about me, which maybe I should have started.
“But I feel ready to do it; I’m far enough away from my childhood that I have some perspective on it all, vocalise the thoughts which have been kicking around in my head for so long, and share some of those stories.”
Besides the colour yellow, Rob’s shows have covered topics such as faces, sleep, water, talk, and time.
“I wanted to talk about first jobs, first girlfriends, first gigs, and the more specific I am about certain things, the more people seem to connect with it.
“Everyone has the first day of their first job, but each is also the only one experiencing it, so it is a unique moment.”
Rob explains that the process of putting the show together felt different this time due to the personal nature of the show.
“When I’m talking about the sky or water, it’s science– I always felt I could know more.
“But what more could I know about me besides others’ opinions, so it’s been really interesting.
“Especially because the people involved don’t always remember them; it’s obvious, but you realise that others just go about their own business, they’re not really thinking about you.
“And that for me is a relief; you can breathe out.”
As for how he keeps his creative flow after more than a decade and a half in the business, he explains: “It’s like anything, you’ve got to keep the machine oiled, and I think you do that by not letting the pipes clog up, so to speak.
“You keep writing those ideas down and don’t lose faith in them.
“I’m constantly surprised by audiences: they latch onto something I didn’t think was anything, and I find that inspiring.
“I’m not always the best judge of where the good stuff is, but also things which are obvious to me aren’t always clear to others.”
It also helps that his work is something of a sanctuary for him: “I can turn to it in times of need; it’s a safe place, but risky too, and I’m always looking for that inspiration.
“Bukowski once said that it was the fear that drove him to write, and when you’ve got to make your own work– I think he’s right.
“It’s very much about getting the ideas out and seeing if they add value, whether they do or don’t.”
While he has been a celebrated comedian for some time, he says that he also enjoys building his career at his own pace.
“The good thing about the tour is that more and more people are coming– it’s my 10th hour, sixth UK tour, people are really paying attention.
“It’s like when Forrest Gump starts running, and he’s just by himself, but the further he went, the more people realised he was doing it, and all of a sudden there’s people and news crews behind him.
“For me, building a solid foundation of work and creativity is like boiling the frog, I think I want it to be that slow build.”
And he hasn’t lost the sparkle of live work, either: “One of my favourite things about performing is that things evolve, you say it differently every night.
“Something as small as lowering your voice a little, or saying something like you’re not bothered, changes how the audience comes to it.”
He is still learning more about the craft, too: “There’s a story I talk about where I was working in a kitchen, put in charge of making crab cakes, but it’s about how they became more popular and how I became known as the crab cake kid.
“I really look forward to that bit, it’s one of my favourite bits of storytelling with a good payoff, but that’s something I learned late, I guess.
“It’s unbelievable how much the audience likes those callbacks, but you feel a bit like you’re in the magic circle; you know the secrets.”
He adds that those spontaneous moments are something he relishes, but still has to get to grips with sometimes, too.
“It’s little things– there was a guy vaping in one of my shows, and then someone coughed somewhere else right after.
“I was like ‘you did that,’ and that got an applause break, because people see that it happens in that moment and that’s really what they’re there for.
“I even asked the audience if they were serious–I really dug my heels in–when I should’ve just taken that new energy which was basically handed to me on a plate.”
While he doesn’t take the job lightly–especially as a comedian who travels by train often– Rob explains that he will remember his time fondly.
“It’s not easy– I mean I’ve just watched the documentary about the miners in Wrexham, so it’s play time compared to that.
“But when I get old I will look back at having done UK tours and think ‘yeah, that was pretty good.’”
The Rob Auton Show is playing at South Street Arts Centre, Reading, on Friday, February 23.
Tickets are available via: whatsonreading.com
