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

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)

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 2-5/96

SpaceVets~1992 - The Mygdon Warlord (actor) (2 eps) 5/92

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 Boîte 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.

Archives

CONTESTS

Coming Soon!

LINKS

See Rare personal Star Wars photos!

Other

Stuff!

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