AFTER almost three years on the road with international hit play War Horse, folk singer extraordinaire Bob Fox has returned to his roots.

The musician, who played the role of Songman in the show, is coming to The Met in Bury on Friday, April 17.

As Songman, Bob helped bring to life the story of Albert, as he battles to find his beloved horse Joey on the blood-soaked battlefields of World War One.

Based on Michael Morpurgo's much-loved children's novel, the stage play used puppets to bring the animals to awe-inspiring life.

Bob said: "I did a year and a half in the West End, then I did a UK tour and also three months in South Africa — in Johannesburg and Cape Town.

"All the puppets that were used in War Horse, they were all designed and built in Cape Town. It was like taking it home.

"We had done it for over 12 months and we had been getting great reception but when we got there, it was unbelievable.

"We got applause in places we never had applause before."

The show's sponsors paid for township children to go and watch the show, mesmerised by their first trip to the theatre and the production — as were millions of other audience members around the globe.

Bob was unfamiliar with the production which features songs written by John Tams, who recommended him for the part of Songman.

He said: "I auditioned for it, they offered me the job and the rest — as they say — is history.

"I wasn't that fussed about it, I thought, I will go for an audition because I happened to be in the area."

But it turned out to be the job of a lifetime for Bob who revels in telling stories through song.

He said: "It was unbelievable.

"First of all, it was the West End. My first job in the theatre, in my life, it was a West End production.

"It was just great, the production was fantastic and all the people.

"I also learnt a lot about the theatre.

"I can now convince people I'm an actor."

Every night, leaving the theatre, he would overhear people's delight and wonderment after watching the show.

He said: "For two, almost three years, every time I was walking past people, they were saying, 'don't they look like real horses?'

"They went into so much detail.

"The puppeteers all did two solid weeks of rehearsing with the puppets and they went out and researched horses' behaviour."

An Evening with the War Horse Songman features songs from the multi-award winning play, performed in full, with additional material from Bob's 40 year career.

Bob, who is currently on tour in Australia, said: "I've been finished for about six weeks.

"It still feels like, on a Monday, I will be going back to do it somewhere.

"It's been such a big part of my life.

"Having invested three years of my life in the show, I thought it might be an idea, not to go to the folk clubs but theatres like The Met."

Originally from a coal mining family and town in County Durham, Bob became interested in folk music at a young age.

He said: "I heard a couple of American coal-mining songs and I thought there must be some coal mining songs from where I live."

In 1975, after spending five years as a floor singer around the many folk clubs in the North East, he met fellow North Easterner Tom McConville and his career as a professional folk singer/musician began.

Throughout his career, he has been featured on national radio and television, won several awards and was nominated by the BBC as Folk Singer Of the Year 2004.

He added: "That was the old way the news was spread, by travelling troubadours.

"They would tell the stories to people."

Bob Fox An Evening with the War Horse Songman will be at The Met, Bury, at 8pm on Friday, April 17.

Visit bobfoxmusic.com for more information.