John Keith "Patrick" Allen (17th March 1927 – 28th July 2006) was a Malawian-born British actor and voice actor, known for his distinctive voice. He voiced Captain Star as both narrator and character in TUGS.
Outside TUGS, Allen provided narration for the intro for Vic Reeves' Big Night Out, some scenes of The Smell Of Reeves and Mortimer, and three Carry On films (Carry On Don't Lose Your Head, Carry On Doctor, and Carry On Up the Khyber), as well as the "Protect and Survive" instructional adverts (made by the British government to prepare the public for possible nuclear war with the Soviet Union) in the late 1970s. He also provided the opening narration voice for ‘The Blackadder’, the first series in the popular BBC historical black comedy franchise Blackadder, which starred Rowan Atkinson in the title role, in which he also stars as Blackadder's arch rival The Hawk..
An accomplished actor, Allen has also made various appearances in cult classic TV shows of the '60s and '70s, including The Avengers, Man in a Suitcase, The Baron, UFO, The Saint, Dixon of Dock Green, Thriller, Journey to the Unknown, etc, and films such as Dial M for Murder, Night of the Big Heat, The Wilby Conspiracy, and The Wild Geese.
Allen passed away on 28th July 2006, aged 79. The cause of his death remains unknown. He is survived by his wife and two sons.
Voice
Trivia
- Both Allen and David Mitton worked together for Gerry Anderson's live-action series UFO (1970-1971), while Mitton worked as the special effects technician for the series.
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