Willo the Wisp

For ignis fatuus, see Will o' the wisp.

For the professional wrestler, see Jeff Hardy.

Willo the Wisp is the name of a British 1980s cartoon series. Kenneth Williams provided voices for all of the characters. These included:

Willo the Wisp, the narrator. A blue floating ghost-like creature, Willo had a long pointed nose which caricatured that of Williams.
Arthur the caterpillar (as a gruff cockney).
Mavis Cruet, a plump fairy with erratic magical powers.
Evil Edna, a witch in the form of a walking, talking television set who could zap people with her aerial.
Carwash, a snooty bespectacled cat (as Noel Coward).
The Moog, a brainless dog.
Twit, a small bird.
The Beast, who began life as a dim prince before an unfortunate encounter with Edna ended up with his transformation into a hairy shambling creature.

The series was written and directed by Nick Spargo of Nicholas Cartoon Films.

It was produced by Nicholas Cartoon Films in association with the BBC and Tellytales Enterprises.

The stories were set in Doyley Woods, a small beech wood in Oxfordshire near the director's home.

Each of the 26 episodes lasted 5 minutes and was broadcast at 5.35 in the evening on BBC1.

Willo the Wisp originated in an educational animation created by Nick Spargo for British Gas in 1975.

A 2nd Series has now been produced by Bobby Spargo, see http://www.willothewisp.co.uk/ for further info on the new series.

[edit] Credits

With the Voices of: Kenneth Williams
Written by: Nicholas Spargo
Music by: Tony Kinsey
Animation: Ron Murdoch, Ted Percival, Janet Nunn, Mike Pocock, Kay Widdowson, Rosemary Welch, Peter Hale
Layout: David Perkins, Brian Levy, Gil Potter
Background: Mary Spargo
Trace and Paint: Lynne & Ian Sachs
Camera: Chris King
Editor: Michael Crane
Production Assistant: Andrea Fontaine
Executive Producers: Terry Saunders, Stephen Lopez
Devised and Designed by: Nicholas Spargo
Produced by: Nicholas Cartoon Films Ltd