Funeral director and pantomime dame might at first glance seem to be wildly divergent career paths but according to Paul Morse, who has scooped award nominations for both his Buckinghamshire business and portrayal of Nanny Bubbles on the stage, they have more in common than you might think.

Paul, 42, in fact, credits his background in theatre, which has seen him cross paths with the likes of Debbie McGee and Anita Harris, for cultivating a sense of empathy that is crucial to connecting with those he helps through the grieving period, offering one-on-one consultations and bespoke funeral arrangements to honour the idiosyncratic preferences of the deceased.  

He founded Morse Funeral Services in Iver Heath in 2019 after two decades of working for a large funeral director company – and touring with theatre productions on the side – left him disillusioned by the impersonality of the service.

Even the opening of a second branch of his business on London End in Beaconsfield in September hasn’t quelled his love of the stage, however, and with just a few months at the new site under his belt, Paul leapt into rehearsals for the Sleeping Beauty pantomime at The Hexagon in Reading as Dame Nanny Bubbles – a role for which he has previously received three awards.

His ability to balance the two worlds – during rehearsals, it’s one day in Beaconsfield and the next in Reading – is part of what has endeared him to his Buckinghamshire clientele, Paul reckons, taking the edge off what can be an extremely fraught and stressful time.

“Beaconsfield is such a lovely area – once the initial curiosity had worn off, people now regularly pop in for a chat and that kind of familiarity really helps us to support people through their grief journey.

“I find that especially for people’s first Christmas after losing a loved one, they need to do something different and break the norm. Seeing your funeral director in a pantomime is just a bit of joy.”

Morse Funeral Services specialises in unique and far-ranging memorials, built around the individual who has passed, which makes for a wider-varying role than you might expect of a funeral director.

Paul helped both Debbie and Anita organise the funerals of their husbands, with the service in memory of Anita’s husband Mike Margolis held in the GreenAcres Chiltern Woodland, and he described a recent service organised for a war veteran who lived in Bisham as “lovely”, with a rendition of the Last Post and the Union Jack flying.

“It’s all about going that extra mile – that time after you lose someone is very difficult and people are busy. We’re just there to help them say goodbye in the right way, and people like that flexibility.

“One recent customer said they felt like we’d become family, which is some of the best feedback you can get.”