Edinburgh Fringe 2025 reviews - Rob Auton / Saaniya Abbas

Rob Auton Assembly Roxy ★★★★

The stage is littered with 30-odd large white cards bearing words such as “love”, “believe” and “push”. Rob Auton comes on stage and tells us he’s CAN, a former motivational speaker, and in the following 60 minutes of CAN (An Hour-Long Story) we hear his tale.

As ever with Auton, he draws us in, peppering the story with lots of clever gags and asides, and even the odd groaner. His shows are mix of performance poetry, spoken word and storytelling, and he has a knack of looking at things from a different angle, prompting us to look at things anew.

For instance, here he does several minutes on how, before we used mobile phones, no one ever said the words “I’m on the bus” - because they had no need to. If we started saying them to the person next us on the bus now, what conversations might start?

CAN came to motivational speaking by accident, he tells us. But before he knew it, he was a big cheese in the motivational speaking world, changing people’s lives for the better, allowing children to become philosophers and world leaders to participate in national anthems karaoke. But did CAN’s life change for the better? Not so much, so something had to give, and we learn what and how.

The fantastical tale has a beginning, a middle and an end, as all good stories must.  The effect is enchanting and uplifting.

• Until 24 August

Saaniya Abbas Gilded Balloon @ Patter House ★★★

What’s a haram Muslim? Saaniya Abbas, for one, who lives life the way she wants to and not according to her upbringing. It’s a catchy opening to her show Hellarious, which discusses cultural identity, taboos and visions of Hell.

Abbas’s mother believes her daughter is going to Hell (Jahannam in Islam) for her lifestyle; Abbas thinks her mother will be there to torment her for eternity, which ironically enough would be her mother’s idea of Heaven.

We hear about Abbas’s childhood in India, Catholic boarding school, marriage then divorce from a British man, a move to Dubai, where she started doing comedy. We also learn about her current dating status (there are some weird blokes out there).

Abbas’s timing is spot-on, with a few last-minute serves to wrongfoot the audience.  She wears a cat’s ears headband, has a sweet smile and may look innocent, but her material is anything but. 

This is an assured Fringe debut and Abbas is a welcome new voice on the comedy scene.

• Until 25 August
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