Biography

Robert (Bobby) Otto Fossett was born in 1912 to Paul Otto Kleinschmidt and his wife Mary Fossett in Kingsthorpe, near Northampton. Bobby came from a long line of circus performers, his father was a continental tumbler that came to England in the early 1900s to work in the British circus, while his mother was the sister of circus impresario ‘Sir’ Robert Fossett, at which circus Paul and Mary met.

Bobby’s life run in parallel to his younger brother’s Tommy (b.1914), both children joined Sir Robert Fossett Circus at a young age performing as clowns. By the time Bobby was eleven, he had shown an inclination to working with animals and developed his own bareback riding act. Over his lifetime in the circus, he developed a wide range of acts including aerial and acrobatic acts. The Brothers even changed their surname to Roberts together.

Over the course of their career Bobby and Tommy worked at various circuses including Otto’s Victory Circus, which belonged to his parents, Rosaire's Circus and Chapman's and performed all over the country in tenting circuses during the summer months and in theatres during the winters.

In 1941 Bobby married Kitty Mednick (b.1922) a variety and circus performer, they had a son also called Bobby (b.1942). Shortly after Bobby’s wedding, Tommy also got married and the brothers continued working alongside each other joined by their wives.

In 1942 Bobby and Tommy, were called up to complete their national service in Edinburgh with the fire brigade. The following year, Bobby went to work with Harry Coady's Circus and later Don Ross's Colossal Combined Circuses.

The brothers eventually joined forces again in 1944 to form their own circus, which they called Robert Brothers Circus. Over the years, they also called their circus Hip-Hip-Zoo-Ray, a name previously used by the Chapman’s Circus for their stage shows.

Bobby served for many years as Honorary President of the Association of Circus Proprietors of Great Britain and in 1999 received the first ever British circus ‘Oscar’ for his lifetime service and achievements in the sector, presented at the International Circus Reunion by The World's Fair newspaper.

Bobby died in 1999 aged 87 years old.