{{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 = Eric Thompson in c. 1970.jpg | caption = Thompson in {{Tooltip|.c|circa}} 1970 | 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 * 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 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'' 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 ''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 and Sophie Thompson followed their parents 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 />

==Selected filmography== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- |1951|| ''Pool of London'' || Garage Pump Attendant || Uncredited |- |1957|| ''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'' || Tsetzar || |- |1970|| ''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}}

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{{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