Ian Allen

Ian Allen is a British puppeteer, puppet maker, writer, and producer whose only work with the Muppets was on The Muppets Christmas Carol as an additional performer. I don't know why he hasn't assisted the Muppets on any other projects filmed in the UK such as Muppet Treasure Island. Ian is probably more famous for his work outside of the Muppets. Outside, Allen, along with John Thirtle are the two founders of Playboard Puppets which created Button Moon and The Spooks of Bottle Bay. No one has any idea what happened to him after 1995 when Thirtle passed away and the company closed up. I'd assume that he is doing puppetry on other shows or retired from puppetry completely, but those are just guesses. In addition to making and performing puppets on The Spooks of Bottle Bay, Ian Allen also wrote, and executive produced the series too. I've read that his other TV credits include performing on Rainbow (with Ronnie LeDrew) and Mo & Hedge. I hope that he's still puppeteering today, despite his partner John Thirtle being gone. I wonder how Ian and John ever meet each other and how they decided to work together. Allen got to work with other puppeteers such as Louise Gold, Nigel Plaskitt, Heather Tobias, and Simon Buckley, just to name a few. Personally, I think he should have done more than assist the main performers on The Muppets Christmas Carol. He could have shown off his Spooks characters and his company, but I guess he was comfortable doing what he wanted. Ian Allen, you're an excellent puppeteer and not so bad at writing. I hope you keep on puppeteering on other projects until you decide to stop. There's always another chance for you to perform alongside the Muppet performers for other projects in the UK. Until the day comes, keep up the spooky work Ian. You're a spook Allen!

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