“gloriously emotive images woven throughout a hilarious and meaningful narrative. Auton will have you cheering to the heavens by the time you leave your seat.“
*****
Rob Auton is not Jesus. But, if Jesus brought a show to the fringe, it might look a bit like ‘A Man Called Can’. This uplifting, powerful hour of storytelling sheds light in places I didn’t know were shadowed. A truly life-affirming journey told through the eyes of a man, called Can.
A legendary jokesmith, Auton has amassed somewhat of a cult following for his annual, hour-long contributions to the Edinburgh Fringe. This monologue is yet another beautiful piece of narrative artistry peppered with signature Auton verse.
He steps onto stage surrounded by a set of hand-painted motivational words and proceeds to tell a fantastical tale about self-improvement, the human condition and individual impact —beautifully framed by our protagonist Can as ‘the knackering miracle of life’.
Auton flexes his spoken-word roots with gloriously emotive images woven throughout a hilarious and meaningful narrative. There’s so much cool stuff on this space station called Earth; The feeling of winning the lottery as your bus comes into focus, apples, petting your neighbour’s cat… It’s all part of the universal human experience, and Auton will have you cheering to the heavens by the time you leave your seat.
Within this brilliantly funny tale are huge, deep ideas. CAN’s pleas of ‘Don’t ruin it’ cut like a knife as we imagine a world where all the world’s leaders meet in a sort of whimsical teambuilding escape to the country. Rob Auton’s creation combines a wide-ranging scope with uncanny relatability, brought to life by the bright-eyed idealism of a Man Called CAN. To call this show perspective-shifting is no exaggeration, and I consider myself a newly indoctrinated member of Auton’s following.
Rob Auton: CAN: The Story Of A Man Called CAN
Upstairs at Assembly Roxy
20:15 | 31 Jul – 24 Aug
Rob Auton: CAN: The Story Of A Man Called CAN *****
Published on
Edinburgh Fringe 2025 
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