Editing Eric Thompson

{{Short description|English actor (1929–1982)}}
{{about|the English actor|other people}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2012}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = 
| image              = 
| caption            = 
| birth_date         = {{Birth date|1929|11|9|df=y}}
| birth_place        = [[Sleaford]], [[Lincolnshire]], England
| birth_name         = Eric Norman Thompson
| death_date         = {{Death date and age|1982|11|30|1929|11|9|df=y}}
| death_place        = [[London Borough of Camden]], England
| spouse             = {{marriage|[[Phyllida Law]]|1957}}
| children           = {{flatlist|
* [[Emma Thompson|Emma]]
* [[Sophie Thompson|Sophie]]
}}
}}
'''Eric Norman Thompson''' (9 November 1929&nbsp;– 30 November 1982) was an English actor, scriptwriter and stage director. He is best remembered for creating and performing the English narration for ''[[The Magic Roundabout]]'',<ref name="Stevens">{{cite book	
|last= Stevens	
|first= Christopher
|title= Born Brilliant: The Life of Kenneth Williams
|publisher= John Murray
|year= 2010
|isbn = 978-1-84854-195-5
|page=401
}}<!--|access-date=4 July 2012--></ref> which he adapted from the original French ''[[Le Manège enchanté]]''.

==Early life==
Eric Norman Thompson was born on 9 November 1929 in [[Sleaford]], [[Lincolnshire]], England, the son of Annie (née Jackson) and George Henry Thompson, a hotel waiter,<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.scotsman.com/news/eric-thompson-1-488390 |title=Eric Thompson |work=[[The Scotsman]]|date=31 March 2006 |access-date=4 October 2014}}</ref> and grew up in [[Rudgwick]], [[Sussex]], attending [[The College of Richard Collyer|Collyer's School]], [[Horsham]]. He trained to be an actor at the [[Old Vic]] acting school in London and joined the Old Vic theatre company in 1952.<ref name="Stevens"/>

==Career==
Thompson worked regularly for the [[BBC]], and was a presenter of the children's television programme ''[[Play School (British TV series)|Play School]]'' from 1964 to 1967. He was best known as the narrator of ''[[The Magic Roundabout]]'', for which he also wrote the [[English language]] scripts, using the visuals from the original [[French language|French]] ''[[Le Manège enchanté]]''. These were transmitted from October 1965 to January 1977. Thompson rarely worked in television after his voice became well known, but occasionally appeared in programmes including ''[[Doctor Finlay's Casebook]]'' (episode: "Beware of the Dog"), ''[[Doctor Who]]'' in the serial ''[[The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve]]'' in 1966, and in two episodes of ''[[Coronation Street]]'', in 1964 and 1969 (playing two different characters).

==Personal life==
Thompson married Scottish actress [[Phyllida Law]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bristol |first=University of |title=2003: Wedding photo {{!}} News and features {{!}} University of Bristol |url=https://www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2003/232.html |access-date=2024-01-14 |website=www.bristol.ac.uk |language=en-GB}}</ref> whom he met while at the Old Vic in 1957. Their daughters [[Emma Thompson|Emma]] and [[Sophie Thompson]] followed into acting.

In 1967, he had a heart attack, attributed to overwork and heavy smoking, and he therefore changed his focus to directing.<ref name=Scotsman>[https://www.scotsman.com/news/eric-thompson-1-488390 Eric Thompson article, ''The Scotsman'', Friday 31 March 2006]</ref> He directed [[Kenneth Williams]] in ''[[My Fat Friend]]'' in 1972 and the conflicts between the two are extensively discussed in Williams' diaries.

On 30 November 1982, Thompson died of a [[heart attack]] in London.<ref name=Scotsman />

==Filmography==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
|1951|| ''[[Pool of London (film)|Pool of London]]'' || Garage Pump Attendant || Uncredited
|-
|1957|| ''[[Lucky Jim (1957 film)|Lucky Jim]]'' || Student || Uncredited
|-
|1962|| ''[[Private Potter]]'' || Capt. John Knowles ||
|-
|1963|| ''[[The Barber of Stamford Hill]]'' || 1st Customer ||
|-
|1967|| ''[[The Jokers]]'' || Customs Officer || 
|-
|1970|| ''[[One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich (film)|One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich]]'' || Tsetzar ||
|-
|1970|| ''[[Dougal and the Blue Cat|Dougal and The Blue Cat]]'' (''Pollux et Le Chat Bleu'')|| Narrator / Dougal / Florence / Brian / Zebedee / Dylan / Mr Rusty / Mr Machenry / Ermintrude / The Train || Voice
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb name|0860117|Eric Thompson}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, Eric}}
[[Category:1929 births]]
[[Category:1982 deaths]]
[[Category:English male television actors]]
[[Category:English television presenters]]
[[Category:English television producers]]
[[Category:English male voice actors]]
[[Category:People educated at The College of Richard Collyer]]
[[Category:People from Sleaford, Lincolnshire]]
[[Category:People from Rudgwick]]
[[Category:Male actors from Lincolnshire]]
[[Category:20th-century English male actors]]
[[Category:BBC television presenters]]
[[Category:Male actors from West Sussex]]
[[Category:Actors from North Kesteven District]]
[[Category:Actors from Horsham District]]