Quick Facts
Biography
Toni Arthur-Hay (born 27 December 1940) is an English theatre director, former folk singer and television presenter.
Early life and education
Arthur-Hay was born Antoinette Alice Priscilla Wilson in Oxford, England. She was educated at Mary Datchelor's Girls School in Camberwell and the Royal Academy of Music.
Career
Television
Arthur is most popularly remembered as one of the presenters of the children's programmes Play School and Play Away alongside Brian Cant and Lionel Morton. She also presented Woman's Hour, TV-am's breakfast show and many other programmes.
Music
She released several folk music albums in the late 1960s and early 1970s with her husband, Dave Arthur. These included Morning Stands on Tiptoe (1967), The Lark in the Morning (1969) and Hearken to the Witches Rune (1971).
Books
Arthur has written several plays and books.
Theatre
In 2003 Arthur directed A Very Naughty Boy by Adrian Poynton, based on the life of Graham Chapman. It won a first prize at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Personal life
Arthur married the singer and storyteller Dave Arthur in 1963, and they had two children Jonathan and Tim. They separated in 1977.
She married the former Time Out Magazine comedy editor Malcolm Hay in 1996.
Her younger son Tim was formerly editor-in-chief and CEO of Time Out (company)|Time Out, and is currently a radio presenter on BBC Radio London.