Biography
Ian
Allen has worked as puppeteer
and puppet maker with a number of puppet companies before forming Playboard
Puppets with the late John Thirtle in 1971.
He has performed extensively with Playboard in theatres and on TV both
in the UK and abroad.
Puppeteer credits: TV
Playschool (BBC TV)
Several appearences with
Playboard Puppets 1971-1973.
Rainbow (Thames TV)
Over 100 programmes 1972-1973.
Playboard (BBC1)
A series of 13 programmes made for the ‘Watch with Mother’
slot in 1976.
Shown 8 times!
Button Moon (Thames TV) 7 series of 13 programmes from 1980 to 1988.
The Spooks of Bottle Bay Puppeteer on Playboard’s new ITV (Carlton)
series networked from 1993.
Other
TV credits include:
That's Life (BBC),
Basil Brush Show (BBC),
Not the Nine O'Clock News (BBC),
Charles Aznavour Show (Dutch TV),
Top of the Pops (BBC),
The Happy Apple (Thames),
Thames Telethon,
Marmalade Atkins (Thames),
Wacaday, Wide Awake Club (TVam),
Seeing and Doing (ITV Schools),
Saturday Starship (Central),
CBTV (Thames),
Jenny Can't Work Any Faster (ATV), Shadows (Thames),
The Boy Merlin (Thames).
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TV Commercials
London Dockland Crows
(3 commercials)
Boots Santa
(20 Christmas commercials
over 3 years)
Lemsip Choir
Nat West piggies
Harvest Crunch Squirrels
Vanish Stain Remover
Ryvita Cornflakes (Dug Mole)
McDonalds Funny Fry Friends (plus approx 5 other McDonalds ads)
Suchard Chocolate Bunnies
Pyramint chocolate bards
Robinsons fruit drinks
(Animals on Bus and Bike)
Birds Eye ‘Funny Face’ potato slices
Feature Film ‘The Muppet Christmas Carol’