Biography ... 1955 - 2003                               

Early publicity shots of Ralph from 1977 (photographer unknown)

Dr Ralph Morse is an alumnus of Rose Bruford College and a qualified teacher with extensive experience in educational drama.  He was born on Wednesday 1st June 1955 and raised in the Colchester area where even at an early age his theatrical machinations were well recognised.  He attended Halstead Secondary School, (now the Ramsey), and by the age of thirteen he was appearing regularly in school plays and local productions, using his burgeoning skills to the advantage of his school friends

"On one cold, blistery winter day, we decided we'd had enough of being stuck outside in the playground over lunch, so I asked my drama teacher, Mr Moll, if we could use the school hall for an impromptu recital.  While all the other pupils were shivering outside, about thirty of my chums were cosseted in a warm hall listening to me slaughter Shakespeare."

The music teacher, who incidentally was Mrs Moll, nurtured Ralph's natural singing talent and he attracted the attention of the local media who christened him "the singing paper boy"   This was primarily as a consequence of his tendency to sing the baritone and bass arias from Gilbert and Sullivan whilst doing his paper round.   

As Ralph explains; "I have met many inspirational people who have shaped my life for the better, but I have especially fond memories of Victor and Gwen Moll who gave me such a positive start"

At the age of eighteen Ralph moved to London to train as an actor.  On graduating he worked both as an actor and teacher in film, radio, television and theatre. Ralph would be the first to admit that he was never really the juvenile lead type, although he did win plaudits for his role as Billy Fisher in "Billy Liar" for  "Causes" Theatre, the company he joined as artistic director in 1979.

 Ralph as Billy Fisher in "Billy Liar" (Causes Theatre Company 1980)

He was much happier under the make-up of character roles, whether it was playing Caiaphas in "Jesus Christ Superstar", (another rich singing role), or the title role in "King Lear", (a heavy undertaking when you are only twenty-five), for which he won the Theatre Associates' best actor award in 1980.  

 "When we are born, we cry that we are come to this great stage of fools"

Ralph in Theatre Associates award winning form as King Lear ("Causes" Theatre Company 1980) Act 4 Scene 6

"King Lear was without doubt the most challenging and rewarding role of my career.  What made the production special to me was that it was stripped back to the bare bones.  Given my age at the time we wanted to avoid the pitfall of crimson lake grease-paint, artificial beard and caricature voice.   Rather I worked on inhabiting the body of an elderly man whose mind was failing him and could be driven into a frenzy  at any moment.  His  physical and vocal outbursts were themselves battles not only against the world but also against the limitations of an increasingly failing body and an aging instrument."

Ralph also appeared as Oberon's Henchman in the 1981 BBC production of "A MIdsummer Night's Dream" starring Helen Mirren

                                          "Ill met by moonlight proud Titania" (private collection)

 His T.V. and film appearances have invariably been behind masks or under layers of latex; "The Empire Strikes Back/Return of the Jedi" and "Blakes Seven" being but two examples

                                      Ralph's make-up for "Blakes Seven" (private pictures)

Even when he did appear "out in the open" so to speak, as Derek Hawkins in a Shoestring episode it was only to have his jaw broken by an angry watercress farmer.

Ralph Morse as Derek Hawkins (private collection )

In 1989 Ralph took up teaching full-time and for the next fifteen years he was heavily involved in educational drama throughout Essex.  Ralph's production of the "Waiting Game", (his own adaptation of Samuel Beckett's "Waiting For Godot"), received much praise and was an entry in the Lloyds Bank Theatre Challenge.  His academic studies inspired historically based dramas namely, "The Ghost Dance", "Malleus Maleficarum"  and "The Bridging Zone"; a series of plays collectively known as "The Four Seasons of Wounded Knee" that explore not only the injustices within the periods they represent, but, also the presentation styles of Antonin Artaud, Constantin Stanislavski and Edward Gordon Craig.  As such they have been of particular assistance to students of AS/A2 Theatre Studies.

Ralph's knowledge and ongoing doctorial research into the beliefs, philosophy and rituals of the ancient world lead to an approach from the Pagan Federation, (a national Home Office recognised organisation of considerable standing and reputation), and in September 1999 he became their first national youth manager.

The post was created to give truthful academic and historically accurate information as opposed to the disingenuous and potentially damaging material emanating elsewhere. Despire genuinely noble intentions the resulting media circus turned Ralph into a 'cause celebre' primarily due to the actions of his school in first suspending him then reinstating him and issuing a retraction in his favour.  These events would ultimately lead to Ralph's departure from full-time teaching in 2003, the same year his father died, Johnny Cash died, (on what would have been Ralph's father's 84th birthday), and the year he was awarded a doctorate (dissertation et jure dignitatis).

Having spent much of his professional life working in theatre and in educational drama, Ralph turned those very same skills to other areas ...

                                                                                        A phoenix rising

                                              Ralph Morse is a member of Artslink, Colchester