“Rob Preston manages to weave his unsettling cast of odd-balls into an enjoyable hour of madness.”
***1/2
Character comedy by nature can lead to a choppy overall experience as the audience are dragged from skit to skit, but Rob Preston manages to weave his unsettling cast of odd-balls into an enjoyable hour of madness.
Vaguely held together by a sense of insecure masculinity, we are introduced to a twitchy pub quiz host, a South African ‘entrepreneur’, a chatty barber, amongst others. Its clear that some of the unsettling atmosphere is by design, indeed when you take your seat Rob himself is perched, silent, on the corner of the stage. Coat hooks with various character garbs give a clue to potential personalities yet to emerge.
Preston is a great joke smith and actor – however, there are characters that are definitely stronger than others. The pub quiz master provides a returning anchor, and unfortunately, a return to one of Rob’s weaker faces in his league of gentlemen. The barber was one of the most fleshed-out characters, combining elements of physical comedy and audience interaction with just enough tension to break the room.
This show has some absolute highlights. Preston has chosen his mark from the front row, and this garners some of the biggest laughs. He manages to bring this audience member into the narrative as well as his established characters, a balancing act that delivers some absolute gold, not least when Rob, in a rare moment of authenticity, disappears from the room not before promising the stranded audience member that ‘Don’t worry, wait here and I’ll be right back as a different character’. 3 minutes feels like a lifetime when you’re alone on stage facing an audience you were only ever planning to be part of.
Amazing Global Solutions harks warmly to beloved sketch shows such as The Limmy Show with a sprinkling of Stath Lets Flats among the lovably awkward cast. There’s a poke at all sorts of men, tech bros, nepo babies, with a sense that each one is hiding a very obvious flaw behind a nearly transparent veil of masculinity. A really fun debut, and I look forward to seeing where Rob takes his comic instincts next.
Rob Preston: Amazing Global Solutions ***
Below at Pleasance Courtyard
7-30 Aug | 20:20 (1hr)
Rob Preston: Amazing Global Solutions ***
Published on
Edinburgh Fringe 2026 
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