Get to Know Comedian Rob Auton Ahead of His Tour in Yorkshire
Ahead of his biggest tour to date, we catch up with Yorkshire comedian Rob Auton
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I’m a writer and performer of some of what I write. I’m 6 ft 2 and I like cashew nuts in stir fries. I grew up in a small Yorkshire village called Barmby Moor, just outside a small Yorkshire town called Pocklington, about 12 miles outside York.
How would you describe your comedic style?
Deadpan of the lively and poetic variety.
How have you kept busy throughout lockdowns?
I took up a new hobby called ‘worrying about the end of the world’. I also put out a daily podcast every day of 2020 and grew some tomatoes on the balcony.
You’re inspired by…
How incredible things of our everyday lives have become normal. Trying to look at parts of life I’ve seen before and attempting to stay excited about them: the sky, water, sleeping, talking, time. Scaffolding going up and coming down. Blowing up inflatable mattresses. Small insects that make leaves of houseplants a different colour. Annoyed people on trains. Twitching litter in bins due to their being a squirrel in there. Hair growing out of me. Seeing a golf course from a train. Nothing ripening a banana as quickly as a rucksack. People I don’t know. An empty bank account. Safety diagrams in the netting of aeroplane seat backs. Nests that have been lived in and left.
You’re grateful for…
Antibodies.
Your favourite comedian?
Ivor Cutler.
Your favourite comedy show/film?
Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Favourite place to perform stand up in the North?
The Basement in York.
Favourite food?
My once a year Chinese takeaway from Fui Sing in Pocklington.
Favourite thing about Yorkshire?
The good people of Yorkshire who read interviews and then buy tickets for my show straight after.
Make us laugh.
A lot of people who come from Yorkshire have a reputation for being a bit tight with money. I never used to think I was tight with money until recently when I had a dream. In the dream I was in the pub with all my friends and when it came to my round I woke up. I was absolutely delighted. Got out of that one!
Where to see Rob next: Rob Auton brings his comedy/theatre/spoken word show about time, ‘The Time Show’, on his (rescheduled) biggest tour to date starting from Monday 16th August with a two-week run at Soho Theatre in London, and including performances at Hyde Park Book Club, Leeds on 7th September; The Stand, Newcastle on 8th September; The Crescent, York on 9th September; and The Leadmill, Sheffield on 13th September.
