Merely Roleplayers

What past experiences do our three main characters share? What can they cling to in comfort when terror closes in all around?

Coming next on 16 January – Vigil: Fear Itself, Act 2

Programme notes

This production contains fantasy violence, gun violence, strong language, family tragedy and malicious fearmongering.

Luvvie alert! We simply must introduce you to The Thorne Files, a fellow Monster of the Week actual play podcast detailing the exploits and mysteries explored by agents of Thorne Investigations, a paranormal investigations agency, in 1952.

Dramatis personae and other definitions

Cameron Jarvis: An intense young man, obsessed with monster hunting since his parents and sister were killed by ghouls while camping outside Sherrydown.

Jess Butterworth: A twenty-something shift worker, Sherrydown born and bred. While working the tarot tent at Amazement Park, she was approached by Kit, a being claiming to be her spirit guide.

Graham: The demon equivalent of an accountant, summoned to Earth in error and now trying to make the best of it. He is destined to bring about the Apocalypse.

Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.

Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.

Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.

Credits

COMPERE: Matt Boothman

STARRING:

Chris Starkey as Cameron Jarvis, the Wronged

Ellen Gould as Jess Butterworth, the Spooky

Alexander Pankhurst as Graham, the Summoned

ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands

MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst

SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman

EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman

Find us

On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers

On Tumblr @merelyroleplayers

www.MerelyRoleplayers.com

Act One of Five: Jess’s haunting friend Kit gives her a fright, and it turns out the good guys aren’t the only ones who can join forces and pool resources.

Coming next on 9 January – Common fears (Vigil Backstage)

Programme notes

This production contains fantasy violence, gun violence, strong language, family tragedy and malicious fearmongering.

Luvvie alert! We simply must introduce you to The Thorne Files, a fellow Monster of the Week actual play podcast detailing the exploits and mysteries explored by agents of Thorne Investigations, a paranormal investigations agency, in 1952.

Dramatis personae and other definitions

Cameron Jarvis: An intense young man, obsessed with monster hunting since his parents and sister were killed by ghouls while camping outside Sherrydown.

Jess Butterworth: A twenty-something shift worker, Sherrydown born and bred. While working the tarot tent at Amazement Park, she was approached by Kit, a being claiming to be her spirit guide.

Graham: The demon equivalent of an accountant, summoned to Earth in error and now trying to make the best of it. He is destined to bring about the Apocalypse.

Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.

Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.

Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.

Credits

COMPERE: Matt Boothman

STARRING:

Chris Starkey as Cameron Jarvis, the Wronged

Ellen Gould as Jess Butterworth, the Spooky

Alexander Pankhurst as Graham, the Summoned

ADDITIONAL VOICES: Natalie Winter and Josh Yard

ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands

MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst

SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman

EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman

Find us

On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers

On Tumblr @merelyroleplayers

www.MerelyRoleplayers.com

The players and their Guide talk Quest, Bureautopia and the unseen lands they could have trod.

Coming up in the Main House on 2 January – Vigil: Fear Itself, Act 1

Programme notes

This production contains fantasy violence and themes of colonialist exploitation.

Credits

GUIDE: Josh Yard

STARRING:

Natalie Winter as Bess, the Invoker

Chris Starkey as Neville Flounder aka The Living Shadow aka Night Gannet, the Spy

Strat as Jerome Picklepants, the Wizard

Dave as Josh, the Magician

ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Quest by The Adventure Guild

MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst

EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman

Find us

On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers

On Tumblr @merelyroleplayers

www.MerelyRoleplayers.com

The Bureautopians’ ultimate quest: take responsibility and commit to your goals by saving Murawai from total destruction.

Coming next on 5 December – After party (Office Party Backstage)

Programme notes

This production contains fantasy violence and themes of colonialist exploitation.

We’re doing a live show at Dragonmeet 2023!

FAN FIC MISH MASH: Heroes you know in a story you don’t. Matt Boothman, Alexander Pankhurst, Natalie Winter and Strat improvise public-domain fan fic in real time, live on stage, using the roleplaying game Interstitial: Our Hearts Intertwined by Riley Hopkins.

10:30-12:00, Pouilly room (on the Mezzanine), Saturday 2 December, Hammersmith Novotel, London. Your Dragonmeet ticket covers our live show, but make sure you turn up in time to secure a seat!

Matt was in a Dragonmeet live show last year, playing Jason Statham’s showbiz agent in a game of Jason Statham’s Big Vacation by Grant Howitt, hosted by The D20 Future Show. The audio from that live show is finally available to listen at home - look for Jason Statham Live Parts 1 and 2 on The D20 Future Show podcast.

Credits

GUIDE: Josh Yard

STARRING:

Natalie Winter as Bess, the Invoker

Chris Starkey as Neville Flounder aka the Living Shadow aka Night Gannet, the Spy

Strat as Jerome Picklepants, the Wizard

Dave as Josh, the Magician

ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Quest by The Adventure Guild

MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst

EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman

Find us

On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers

On Tumblr @merelyroleplayers

www.MerelyRoleplayers.com

Enjoy some gags, flubs and out of character moments that we had to cut from the main acts to make efficiency savings.

Coming next on 28 November – The Office Party, Act 5

Programme notes

This production contains fantasy violence and themes of colonialist exploitation.

Credits

GUIDE: Josh Yard

STARRING:

Natalie Winter as Bess, the Invoker

Chris Starkey as Neville Flounder aka The Living Shadow aka Night Gannet, the Spy

Strat as Jerome Picklepants, the Wizard

Dave as Josh, the Magician

ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Quest by The Adventure Guild

MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst

EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman

Find us

On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers

On Tumblr @merelyroleplayers

www.MerelyRoleplayers.com

The Bureautopians’ fourth quest: practise creative problem-solving by rescuing Michaela from a vampire pirate stronghold.

Coming next on 21 November – The shredder (Office Party Backstage)

Programme notes

This production contains fantasy violence and themes of colonialist exploitation.

We’re doing a live show at Dragonmeet 2023!

FAN FIC MISH MASH: Heroes you know in a story you don’t. 10:30-12:00, Pouilly room (on the Mezzanine), Saturday 2 December, Hammersmith Novotel, London. Your Dragonmeet ticket covers our live show, but make sure you turn up in time to secure a seat!

See Josh, our Guide to The Office Party, in Titanic the Musical from 23 November at the Bridewell Theatre, London.

Credits

GUIDE: Josh Yard

STARRING:

Natalie Winter as Bess, the Invoker

Chris Starkey as Neville Flounder aka the Living Shadow aka Night Gannet, the Spy

Strat as Jerome Picklepants, the Wizard

Dave as Josh, the Magician

ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Quest by The Adventure Guild

MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst

EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman

Find us

On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers

On Tumblr @merelyroleplayers

www.MerelyRoleplayers.com

The Bureautopians’ third quest: support others’ development by breaking Sir Ansellus the Daring’s chicken curse.

Coming next on 14 November – The Office Party, Act 4

Programme notes

This production contains fantasy violence and themes of colonialist exploitation.

On Friday 10 November at 8pm UK, Matt is running a game of Heart: The City Beneath by Grant Howitt and Chris Taylor, streaming live on the Actual Play UK Twitch channel, with Maddy and Zack from Realms of Peril & Glory, Fiona from What Am I Rolling?, and Dan from Brit Twits.

Speaking of Realms of Peril & Glory, they’re through to the semi-finals of this year’s Audio Verse Awards! Go give them your vote!

Hear Driving The Point Home, a short story Matt wrote about a sword, in Of The Sword, an anthology podcast that released a story about a sword every day in September 2023.

Hear Marta Da Silva (Harper in our Main House production, Vigil) as Val in the final season of The Silt Verses.

See Josh, our Guide to The Office Party, in Titanic the Musical from 23 November at the Bridewell Theatre, London.

Credits

GUIDE: Josh Yard

STARRING:

Natalie Winter as Bess, the Invoker

Chris Starkey as Neville Flounder aka the Living Shadow aka Night Gannet, the Spy

Strat as Jerome Picklepants, the Wizard

Dave as Josh, the Magician

with Matt Boothman as Sir Ansellus the Daring, High Warden of Altarwood Keep

ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Quest by The Adventure Guild

MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst

EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman

Find us

On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers

On Tumblr @merelyroleplayers

www.MerelyRoleplayers.com

The Bureautopians’ second quest: demonstrate attention to detail by uncovering the secrets of Quilla village.

Coming next on 31 October – The Office Party, Act 3

Programme notes

This production contains fantasy violence and themes of colonialist exploitation.

Hear Driving The Point Home, a short story Matt wrote about a sword, in Of The Sword, an anthology podcast that released a story about a sword every day in September 2023.

Hear Marta Da Silva (Harper in our Main House production, Vigil) as Val in the final season of The Silt Verses.

See Josh, our Guide to The Office Party, in Titanic the Musical from 23 November at the Bridewell Theatre, London.

Credits

GUIDE: Josh Yard

STARRING:

Natalie Winter as Bess, the Invoker

Chris Starkey as Neville Flounder aka the Living Shadow, the Spy

Strat as Jerome Picklepants, the Wizard

Dave as Josh, the Magician

with Matt Boothman as Sir Ansellus the Daring, High Warden of Altarwood Keep

ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Quest by The Adventure Guild

MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst

EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman

Find us

On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers

On Tumblr @merelyroleplayers

www.MerelyRoleplayers.com

The players create their dull Bureautopian characters – and the questing heroes they will discover within themselves.

Coming next on 17 October – The Office Party, Act 2

Programme notes

This production contains fantasy violence and themes of colonialist exploitation.

Credits

GUIDE: Josh Yard

STARRING:

Natalie Winter as Bess, the Invoker

Chris Starkey as Neville Flounder, the Spy

Strat as Jerome Picklepants, the Wizard

Dave as Josh, the Magician

ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Quest by The Adventure Guild

MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst

EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman

Find us

On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers

On Tumblr @merelyroleplayers

www.MerelyRoleplayers.com

Four Bureautopians embark on their first quest: to enhance their personal development with team building exercises in a faraway land.

Coming next on 10 October – Team building (Office Party Backstage)

Programme notes

This production contains fantasy violence and themes of colonialist exploitation.

Credits

GUIDE: Josh Yard

STARRING:

Natalie Winter as Bess, the Invoker

Chris Starkey as Neville Flounder, the Spy

Strat as Jerome Picklepants, the Wizard

Dave as Josh, the Magician

ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Quest by The Adventure Guild

MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst

EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman

Find us

On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers

On Tumblr @merelyroleplayers

www.MerelyRoleplayers.com