Background
Eric Norman Thompson was born in Sleaford, Lincolnshire, England, the son of Annie (née Jackson) and George Henry Thompson, and grew up Rudgwick, Sussex, attending Collyer"s School, Horsham.
Eric Norman Thompson was born in Sleaford, Lincolnshire, England, the son of Annie (née Jackson) and George Henry Thompson, and grew up Rudgwick, Sussex, attending Collyer"s School, Horsham.
He is best remembered for creating and performing the English narration for The Magic Roundabout, which he adapted from the original French Le Manège Enchanté. He trained to be an actor at the Old Vic acting school in London and joined the Old Vic theatre company in 1952. He worked regularly for the British Broadcasting Corporation, 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 wrote the English language scripts, using the visuals from the original French Le Manège Enchanté.
These were transmitted from October 1965 to January 1977. Everything about that was hugely influential." Thompson rarely worked on television after his voice became well-known, but occasionally appeared in programmes such as Doctor Who in the serial The Massacre of Street Bartholomew"s Eve in 1966.
Personal life
Thompson married Scottish actress Phyllida Law, whom he met while at the Old Vic in 1957. Their daughters Emma and Sophie Thompson have also followed acting careers.
On 30 November 1982, Thompson died of a pulmonary embolism in London just three weeks after his 53rd birthday.