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Austen, Don

Don Austen

Donald Austen was born in England, he is a puppeteer, an actor and a writer.

Mr. Austen attended the Birmingham School of Speech Training & Dramatic Art where he trained in drama and had two years of training in drama and dance (ballet and modern) at the Nottingham Academy of Speech, Dance and Drama.

BIG thanks to Mr. Austen for his time and assistance!

Film Puppeteer
The Pleasure Seeker~1993 - Fun Loving Slow Norris...invading Wiltshire (full prosthetic alien body suit)
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace~1999 (as Don Austen) - Yoda Puppeteer (radio controlled features)
Muppet Treasure Island~1996 - Various: Pirate crew & Cannibals
Muppet Christmas Carol, The~1992 - puppeteer of the characters: Ghost of Christmas Present/Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come
Witches, The~1990 - Animatronic Mice: Bruno & Luke
The Bear (L'Ours)~1987 - Animatronic bear crew - operating cabled bears at 10,000 feet (alongside the real bears!)
Who Framed Roger Rabbit?~1987 - Various - Puppeteering inanimate objects for animated cast.
Labyrinth~1986 - Ludo (radio control)/inside the Riding  Goblin and Junk Woman costumes (see Actor Connections - Film)
Little Shop of Horrors~1986 - Little Audrey II operator and crew coordinator (performing and placing 45 performers) (see Actor Connections - Film)
Santa Claus: The Movie~1985 - Dasher/Assisting on Blitzen (animatronic Reindeer crew)
 
TV Puppeteering
Basil Brush Show, The~2002-2007 -
    Cousin Mortimer in:
        Basil Hood
        The Sweet Smell of Success
        Santa Brush
        Manic Organic
        Basil's Million
        Cousin Mortimer
    Bingo in:
        Basil Hood
        there's No Business Like Snow Business
        Dave's First Girlfriend
        Kiss and Tell
        Santa Brush
    Mortimer in:
        Da Basil Code
        There's No Business Like Snow Business
        Back to School Basil
        Kiss and Tell
        Fox Rocks
Scratch 'n' sniff's Den of Doom~2007 - Scratch
Holly & Stephen's Saturday Showdown~2006 - Scratch & Sniff (the Hyenas) (see Actor Connections - TV)
Ministry of Mayhem M.O.M.~2004 - Scratch (2005 - )
Roly Mo Show~2004 - Roly Mo the Mole (operating/covering from The Fimbles)
Milkshake~2003 - Bach the musical dog, guesting with 5 presenters
Basil Brush Show~1968 - voicing and playing: (series 1 - 4,  2002-2005)
    Cousins Mortimer and Bingo (series 3 & 4)
    Mortimer, Bingo and Bungo (series 2)
    Cousin Mortimer (series 1)
A House That's Just Like Yours~2003 - Bach the musical dog (39 eps)
Hoobs, The~2002 - Iver Hoob (puppeteer and voice actor) (250 eps)
Clever Creatures~2000 - Big Al (big, loud, deep South American Aligator)
French and Saunders~1987 - The Leprechauns in The Making of Titanic 2000
Live and Kicking~1993 - Mr. Sage/ The Leprechauns (1995-2000)
Mr. Sage (left) and Mr. Onion - copyright Rollinclover Limited - photo from Toonhound.com
Pull the Other One~1999 - The Leprechauns 
The Timekeepers~1999 - Coggsley
Whizziwig~1999 - animatronic operation of Whizziwig the Alien (1997 - 1999)
GMTV~1993 - The Leprechauns (guesting)  in St. Patrick's Day episode  3/17/99
GMTV~1993 - The Leprechauns (guesting) in St. Patrick's Day episode 3/17/98
Red Alert~1998 - The Leprechauns (guesting with Lulu on National Lottery)
Jim Davidson's Gen' Game~1998 - The Leprechauns (guesting with Otis the Aardvark, George, Zippy & Bungle)
CITV Awards~1995 - The Wolves...nominated, take over commentary box! 10/95
40 Years of CITV~1995 - The Wolves 8/95
Wolf It!~1993 - The Wolves (puppets) Bro and Bro (1993-1996)
The Pig Attraction~1993 - guesting as The Wolves/D.J. Kat/ Wally Blubb/Earl E. Bird
Gogglewatch~1996 - The Wolves (hiding in the Goggle family's guesthouse attic) 7/96
The Bird~1996 - guesting as The Wolves/D.J. Kat 5/96
An Audience With Sooty~1996 - The Wolves, gate-crash the gathering 4/96
Bugmania~1996 - The Leprechauns in Insects with Howie Watkins (Really Wild Show) 3/96
Noel's House Party~1991 - Fibber the Frog in My Little Friend 1996
Wizadora~1993 - Bottom (in bottom drawer) and Horace the Crow (puppets) 
What's Up Doc?~1992 - (puppeteer) The Wolves (36 eps) 1992-1993 
Spitting Image~1984 - puppeteer 1987 - 1990 (Christmas and Election specials too) (see Actor Connections - TV)
Dead Head~1986 - (see Actor Connections - TV)
The Wild Bunch~1991 - Danny Mogg/Streetwise Cat (13 eps) 8-9/91
Early Bird~1991 - Earl E. Bird (puppet) the host (200 eps; series 1 and 2)
Motormouth~1988 - Crow Twins (puppet) guesting to publicize the Whinging Pom series for TV 3/91
Food Nights~1990 - Side of Ham (puppet) 12/90
Top Banana~1990 - Hylda the Hydra (puppeteering/deputizing)
Animal Nights~1989 - Anteater (puppet) 9-12/89
D.J. Kat Show~1987 - D.J. Kat (puppet) (2000 eps) (1989 - 1995)
The Fun Factory~1977 - Walter Blubb the Walrus (puppet) (110 eps 11/88-3/91)
The Magic Corner~1987 - Max the bear (puppet) 
 
TV 
Supermarket Sneak!~2005 - voicing
Boiled Egg & Soldiers~1996 - 
    Evil Dentist 2-5/96
    Slick Fandango - visits contestant's homes/hosts crazy animal game show 
SpaceVets~1992 - The Mygdon Warlord (actor) (2 eps)
Three Minute Heroes~1982 - 
City (ITV)~19?? - 
Nanny~1981 - 
A Spy At Evening~1981 - 
God's Wonderful Railway~1980 - 
Juliet Bravo~1980 - 
Crossroads~1964 - 1980's
Tycoon~1978 - 
Angels~1975 - 

TV Writer
Supermarket Sneak!~2005
Ministry of Mayhem M.O.M.~2004 (2005)
Live and Kicking~1993 (1995 - 2000)
What's Up Doc?~1992
 
Commercials
Woolworths~2004 - Wooly the Sheep (voice and puppeteer)
Chewits: Safety Procedure~1996 - Chewits Dragon (safe eating of Chewits confectionery)
France for a Pound~1990 - Nervous Frog  (Frog loudly extols French menu...then realizes he's on it!) 
Electricity Privatisation: Take the It Out of the Kitty!~1990 - Frankenstein's Cat (seemingly docile family cat...roars!) (Shepperton)
Spitting Image International commercials
 
Other
The Sage and Onion puppets (The Leprechauns)
The Dome~1999 - Looped video of The Timekeepers
 
Theatre
The Wind In The Willows~1983-4 - operating Mr. Toad (two national UK tours; Polka Children's Theatre, Wimbledon, UK)

1979 - 1983
Cannon Hill Puppet Theatre - appeared for 12 seasons (Midland's Arts Centre, Birmingham; other venues in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, France, Germany and Hungary)
La BoƮte a Jou-Joux (The Toy Box) - puppeteered to this marionette ballet (Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, UK)

Jan - May 1979
Theatre In Education (Eden Court T.I.E. Company) - performer/devisor/musician (two tours - Highlands & Islands of Scotland)
Ring Round the Moon - Hugo & Frederick (The Twins) (Nottingham Festival, Nottingham, UK; Eden Court Theatre, Inverness)
Two Pantomime seasons at Eden Court Theatre, Inverness, UK as an actor and dancer.
Two Number One Pantomimes at the Theatre royal, Nottingham (acting ASM)
Sleeping Beauty - movement group of the London Festival Ballet (Birmingham Hippodrome, Birmingham, UK)
 
Awards, Honors and Nominations
The Gemini Awards:
Nom 2002 Best Performance in a Pre-School Program or Series for The Hoobs (shared)
Nom 2001 Best Performance in a Pre-School Program or Series for The Hoobs
Nom 2000 Best Performance in a Pre-School Program or Series for The Hoobs
 
Miscellany
Full 42 week EQUITY membership before leaving drama school.
 
Wiseman’s Hat Animatronics, Flying Fairies, Shaft Of Hands.
 
Fire Things Marionettes, A Jim Henson Film, Elstree Studios.

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