Saul Murphy has a very special role
Story teller Saul Murphy at Liverpool Town Hall. Photo by Colin Lane
“It’s when we go home and we shave off our beard and shave off the moustache, we then are back to being Saul and Richie,” says Saul Murphy. The 48-year-old, who lives in Wallasey, works behind the scenes in film and TV, but every December he has another important role to play.
Saul grows a moustache, dyes it white and, with the help of a fake beard and red suit, takes on the role of Father Christmas. “It does help you get into character to be fair. Those little things, they do help psychologically I suppose. You do feel authentic,” he adds.
For the past 15 years, Saul has worked alongside his friend Richie on Storytime With Santa. The much-loved annual Christmas event has been running since 2010 at the Floral Pavilion Theatre in New Brighton and at the Liverpool Town Hall since 2015.
Despite originally playing the elf, for the past five years Richie has played Father Christmas, a role he proudly plays in front of dozens of children every year. Through the years, he’s watched his annual visitors grow up until they no longer believe and played a part in many families Christmas traditions.
Richie told the ECHO: “This is part of the reason why we do it. You know, it’s a job and we love performing, but it’s those little heartwarming moments that brings the magic of Christmas alive. And you think, ‘oh, yes, it’s worth me sweating, and straining my voice for all this’.”
He added: “We also try to make it funny for them [the adults] and keep them engaged. Like there are those little jokes and we really like those moments where, sometimes, you get grown ups that come in and it could be the grandparents and they have a sour face that’s like entertain me. And at the end of it, you’ve won them over.”
Saul Murphy out of costume(Image: Liverpool ECHO)
It’s moments like this which is why Saul says “it’s not easy playing the role of Santa”. From researching the latest Christmas gifts to speaking for long periods of time, the role requires more than just donning the famous suit and beard.
He said: “If someone is playing Santa for the first time and never done it before, it will be an eye-opener for them. You’ve got to be quick. By Christmas Eve, you’re like, ‘oh, my God, I’ve got this down to a fine art again’, because you’ll have a certain pattern that you would repeat, or because you would obviously have a lot of things that get asked for at the same time, or a lot of groups would say very similar things.
“So it’s that quick recall of once you’ve said something once, it sort of then stays in your brain. Then you go, ‘oh, I said that the other day’. And then it’s being able to quickly recall it.
“But yes, it is staying sharp and alert because you’ve got a room full of people and they’re all looking at you, you’ve got to think fast and on your feet because there is no room for Santa to be going, ‘err let me think’.”
Having worked in Christmas entertainment for more than a decade, there have been many moments that have stood out for Saul. Some moments have left him with tears, while others have left him trying not to laugh.
He said: “There’s the bits where a kid’s made Santa’s face leak, when they’d lost a parent. You know, that was brought up. And it was like, ‘oh, God, I didn’t expect that’. That’s a moment I’ve been caught off guard.
“A child that had lost their parents and when it was like, you know, ‘what do you want for Christmas?’ And obviously they want their parents. We try to make the setting as relaxed where the kids can, I suppose, open up. Because when the kids speak to you, they’re still speaking in front of the whole room.
“You do get those kids that are overexcited and do some silly things, which is brilliant. I remember when it was the flossing? I’m dabbing. So every year, it’s great. In the past, we’ve had ‘come on, let’s dab!’ And we all dab, and we all floss, and we get the kids up. Or you get the kids to do the cool poses for the photographs.
“But all I can say is every year, there are standout moments which are either going to make you cry or make you laugh out loud because kids are so unpredictable. And sometimes we don’t give them enough credit for their imagination.”
This year will be extra special for Saul as his daughter, Neve, follows in dad’s footsteps and takes on the role of an elf.
Saul said: “I said, ‘look, this is going to be fun’. But again, it’s not an easy job. Like, if you want to be a performer, this is probably one of the hardest bits of performing because when you’re on a stage, you’ve got the lights and the lights will block out the audience.
“The audience here is right in front of you. You can’t hide. And you can’t rest on your laurels because every audience is different because all children are different.”
More information on Storytime with Santa can be found on Liverpool City Hall’s website.