Tom Fleming (actor)

Thomas Kelman Fleming, CVO, OBE, FRSAMD (29 June 1927 – 18 April 2010) was a Scottish actor, director, and poet, and a television and radio commentator for the BBC.

Fleming was born in Edinburgh and attended Daniel Stewart's College, where the performing arts centre was renamed in his honour shortly after his death.

Acting career

His acting career began in 1945. He co-founded the Gateway Theatre in Edinburgh in 1953 before joining the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1962. That year he played the title role in William Gaskill's production of Cymbeline. In 1965, he founded a company at the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh. He also became the director of The Scottish Theatre Company for most of its years in the 1980s. On television, he played the title role in the 1956 BBC children's series Jesus of Nazareth. In 1983, he played the part of Lord Reith, the BBC's first Director General, in a two-part BBC production written by Roger Milner, entitled simply Reith.

Presenting career

He was a commentator for the BBC telecast of the Edinburgh Military Tattoo from 1966 until 2008. He was the BBC commentator for the Eurovision Song Contest 1972 in Edinburgh. He was a commentator on BBC television coverage of state events, such as the annual Remembrance Sunday service, royal weddings and ceremonial funerals.

He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1980 and a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in 1998.

Fleming also received an Honorary Doctorate from Heriot-Watt University in 1984

Fleming, who never married, was organist, lay preacher, secretary and reader at the Canonmills Baptist church in Edinburgh. After a long illness he died in St Columba's Hospice in Edinburgh on the night of Sunday 18 April 2010.