Railway Bob

Railway Bob was a celebrity dog that rode the railways of Australia in the late nineteenth century. Keith Preston and Deborah Baldassi bring to life the sometimes true, sometimes rumoured tales of a dog initially sent to catch rabbits but ended up being a VIP passenger across colonial South Australia.

Returning to the Fringe after its debut last year, the story of ‘Bob the driver’s dog’ has toured Australia with its collection of stories, songs – and of course, Bob, brought to life in a puppet expertly guided by bunraku puppeteer Uma Preston.

Bob was technically ‘owned’ by the station master at what is now Peterborough, South Australia, but his canine interest in the railways led him to ride to Broken Hill, Melbourne and Sydney on the train, often away for days at a time, and always well looked after by the drivers and crew of the trains.

Preston’s guitar and Baldassi’s keyboards provide the backing to the folk songs telling Bob’s story, and there are many anecdotes from press cuttings of the time about his exploits on railway stations and in small town hotels, until his retirement to Hindley Street, Adelaide. The stories persisted even after his sad demise – rumours of him being stuffed and stolen kept the legend going.

The storytelling is gentle and family-friendly (maybe a couple of swear-words here and there), though whilst Bob is a realistic puppet, it’s not a story aimed at younger audiences. However, if you’re interested in trains or dogs, it’s an interesting and fun way to spend an hour

Review by Mark Wickett

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