Brian Cant
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Biography
A legend in children's television, the Ipswich-born Brian Cant is best remembered for presenting Play School and Play Away and sterling voiceover work on the Trumptonshire series, as well as presenting the later kids' series, "Bric A Brac" and "Dappledown Farm". He's also acted on stage and screen and is still active in the audiobook world.
Trivia
Fern Britton is his sister-in-law and the actor Tony Britton is his father-in-law.
He revealed on a "Play School" video that, when he went for an audition to present that show, he was given a cardboard box and asked to, "Get in that box and row out to sea!" He duly did so, giving a running commentary about the seagulls, the sea getting choppy and, eventually, that he had caught a custard-filled Wellington boot. He reckoned that he was given the job by virtue of acting silly - and clearly witty too!
He and a host of other 'Play School' and 'Play Away' presenters made a kids' record entitled 'Bang On A Drum', featuring a number of songs that had been performed on both those programmes. Cant's songs included 'One Potato, Two Potato', 'I Like Peace, I Like Quiet' and 'I Think I've Caught A Cold!'
A 2007 edition of the BBC's 70's-set drama "Life On Mars" famously features the lead characters being portrayed as if in an edition of "Camberwick Green", one of the series that Cant narrated - followed by the immortal line by Sam Tyler, "I'll only say this once, Gene - stay out of "Camberwick Green!" Excellent though that scene undoubtedly was, it's a shame that Cant did not narrate it - it would have added some real authenticity if he had.
Contact
c/o Amanda Howard Associates Ltd, 21 Berwick Street, London, W1F 0PZ
