The actor and broadcaster Tom Fleming became a household name throughout the UK and beyond as the television commentator, for over fifty years, on state occasions. His appearances on stage in over thirty countries made him a well-known and admired theatrical figure. After founding the Gateway Theatre in Edinburgh in 1953, Fleming joined the Royal Shakespeare Company. He later worked at the Citizens Theatre in Glasgow and became director of the Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh in 1965. He championed the establishment of a National Theatre for Scotland. His contribution to Scottish theatre was recognised in 2001 by the Fletcher of Saltoun Award from the Saltire Society. The son of a Baptist preacher, Fleming spent the last twenty years of his life as lay preacher and organist at Canonmills Baptist Church in Edinburgh.