Merely Roleplayers
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Top 10 Merely Roleplayers Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Merely Roleplayers episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Merely Roleplayers for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Merely Roleplayers episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Lingering effects (Vigil Backstage)
Merely Roleplayers
04/29/25 • 68 min
The cast of Vigil: Ill Wind talk about the parts of the story that came out in the wash, and the parts that might stink up the Main House for a while to come.
Coming next on 20 May – Vigil: Shadowfall, Act 1
Programme notes
This production contains fantasy violence, retching sounds, toxic friendship, and betrayal.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Renko: A DoOm agent assigned to Sherrydown, furloughed since the office closed.
Gwynned, the Shieldmaiden: A former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan, exiled to live as a duck for the crime of saving a mortal man from her mistress’ cruel whim, now freed from her curse and elevated to a third of the godhead herself.
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.
Peggy Tailor: The prodigal daughter of a local family that dabbles in fey frolicking and organised crime, back in town to lay low after a grift gone horribly wrong.
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.
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. Recently lifted.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Vikki as Renko, the Flake
Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine
Alexander Pankhurst as Graham, the Summoned
Ellie Pitkin as Peggy Tailor, the Crooked
with Ellen Gould as Jess Butterworth
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
1 Listener
Vigil: Ill Wind, Act 5
Merely Roleplayers
04/22/25 • 54 min
Act Five of Five: To save Sherrydown from its own waste, someone’s going to have to get their hands dirty.
Coming next on 29 April – Lingering effects (Vigil Backstage)
Programme notes
This production contains fantasy violence, retching sounds, toxic friendship, and betrayal.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Renko: A DoOm agent assigned to Sherrydown, furloughed since the office closed.
Gwynned, the Shieldmaiden: A former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan, exiled to live as a duck for the crime of saving a mortal man from her mistress’ cruel whim, now freed from her curse and elevated to a third of the godhead herself.
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.
Peggy Tailor: The prodigal daughter of a local family that dabbles in fey frolicking and organised crime, back in town to lay low after a grift gone horribly wrong.
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.
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. Recently lifted.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Vikki as Renko, the Flake
Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine
Alexander Pankhurst as Graham, the Summoned
Ellie Pitkin as Peggy Tailor, the Crooked
with Ellen Gould as Jess Butterworth
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
1 Listener
Vigil: Shadowfall, Act 1
Merely Roleplayers
05/20/25 • 42 min
Act One of Five: If you don’t cast a shadow, are you really there? Not a riddle: we’re about to find out.
Coming next on 27 May – Other selves (Vigil Backstage)
Programme notes
This production contains fantasy violence, gunfire, and references to child abduction.
Find Matt at UK Games Expo, 30 May–1 June at the NEC in Birmingham. He’s running some roleplaying game sessions you can sign up to join.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Melody Bantham: The owner of Melodies, the cosy cafe and vinyl shop on Market Street. Melody is an ageless patchwork person animated by music, who fled her creator ages ago and has owned a music shop on this spot ever since.
Harper: A US exchange student trying to sever her ties to the Shadow realm she sometimes enters through revolving doors.
Gwynned, the Shieldmaiden: A former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan, exiled to live as a duck for the crime of saving a mortal man from her mistress’ cruel whim, now freed from her curse and elevated to a third of the godhead herself.
Brier: A mischievous shapeshifting púca, the fae guardian of Sherrydown’s Rosebrier Forest.
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. Recently lifted.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Helen Stratton as Melody Bantham, the Constructed
Marta Da Silva as Harper, the Searcher
Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine
Strat as Brier, the Monstrous
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
SFX AND INCIDENTAL MUSIC INCLUDES: Pigeons taking off by Glaneur de sons on freesound.org (CC BY 4.0); and may include others made available to use without attribution.
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
1 Listener
Other selves (Vigil Backstage)
Merely Roleplayers
05/27/25 • 31 min
The Shadowfall cast check the status of their characters’ relationships, and check Matt’s fit for clues.
Coming next on 3 June – Vigil: Shadowfall, Act 2
Programme notes
This production contains fantasy violence, gunfire, and references to child abduction.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Melody Bantham: The owner of Melodies, the cosy cafe and vinyl shop on Market Street. Melody is an ageless patchwork person animated by music, who fled her creator ages ago and has owned a music shop on this spot ever since.
Harper: A US exchange student trying to sever her ties to the Shadow realm she sometimes enters through revolving doors.
Gwynned, the Shieldmaiden: A former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan, exiled to live as a duck for the crime of saving a mortal man from her mistress’ cruel whim, now freed from her curse and elevated to a third of the godhead herself.
Brier: A mischievous shapeshifting púca, the fae guardian of Sherrydown’s Rosebrier Forest.
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. Recently lifted.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Helen Stratton as Melody Bantham, the Constructed
Marta Da Silva as Harper, the Searcher
Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine
Strat as Brier, the Monstrous
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
1 Listener
Vigil: Shadowfall, Act 2
Merely Roleplayers
06/03/25 • 40 min
Act Two of Five: In the deepest darkest basement, the former Mayor has a lead that could go all the way to the top.
Coming next on 17 June – Vigil: Shadowfall, Act 3
Programme notes
This production contains fantasy violence, gunfire, and references to child abduction.
In chapter 3 of Camera Obscura, Matt’s actual play of Outliers by Samantha Leigh, the RAs do battle with a dæmon-haunted server.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Melody Bantham: The owner of Melodies, the cosy cafe and vinyl shop on Market Street. Melody is an ageless patchwork person animated by music, who fled her creator ages ago and has owned a music shop on this spot ever since.
Harper: A US exchange student trying to sever her ties to the Shadow realm she sometimes enters through revolving doors.
Gwynned, the Shieldmaiden: A former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan, exiled to live as a duck for the crime of saving a mortal man from her mistress’ cruel whim, now freed from her curse and elevated to a third of the godhead herself.
Brier: A mischievous shapeshifting púca, the fae guardian of Sherrydown’s Rosebrier Forest.
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. Recently lifted.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Helen Stratton as Melody Bantham, the Constructed
Marta Da Silva as Harper, the Searcher
Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine
Strat as Brier, the Monstrous
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
SFX AND INCIDENTAL MUSIC INCLUDES: Pigeons taking off by Glaneur de sons on freesound.org (CC BY 4.0); and may include others made available to use without attribution.
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
1 Listener
Prospero & Viola, Act Two
Merely Roleplayers
10/22/19 • 39 min
Reunited, the castaways are confronted with something that defies explanation. Is this really just an ordinary island?
We’re nominated for two Audio Verse Awards: Best Improvised Production and Best Player Director (for Matt)! Vote for us and your other audiodrama favourites before 31 October at audioverseawards.net
After this, listen to the Ragged Scratch podcast by Ragged Foils Productions! It’s an audio drama new writing night in podcast form, full of new and experimental work. Nat - of the Prospero - is the host and creator, and there’s a piece by Matt in an upcoming episode.
Alex - of the Viola - has some stand-up comedy dates coming up in London. See when and where he’s performing, and RSVP, at alexanderpankhurst.com
AdventureX, the narrative games convention, is at the British Library on 2-3 November. Matt will be there, attending talks and making friends. Watch @MerelyMJ on Twitter and @merelymatt on Instagram for updates.
Content notes for this episode
Despair, loss of hope
Description of human remains that have suffered violence
Season credits
STARRING Strat, Starkey, Nat, Josh, Ellen, Vikki, Alex and Dave as themselves (sort of)
HOSTED BY Matt
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
IN ASSOCIATION WITH Blackshaw Theatre Company (blackshawtheatre.wordpress.com)
Find us
Vigil: Tourist Trap, Act 4
Merely Roleplayers
07/13/21 • 44 min
Following the food truck ordeal, the team reconvenes to formulate their next move (and leave Amazement Park some damning reviews). A trap is set, but an unseen somebody has a different plan.
Programme notes
This production contains mild body horror, fantasy violence - including gun violence - and abusive relationship dynamics.
Natalie Winter (Gwynned in Vigil: Cold Snap) was on Talk Together, an interview show on the Roll Together network. Check out the interview on Twitch or Youtube.
Sherrydown is twinned with Waterdeep, city of splendours, home of the Great Game, the Neverember Enigma! Sherrydown Town Council unfortunately does not recommend that townsfolk take part in the Great Game themselves. As a safe alternative, why not support our town’s favourite contestants, the Waterdeep Mallrats? Cheer them on every Monday at 19:00 UTC+1 on twitch.tv/sabotagetheDM.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
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.
Melody: the owner of Melodies, the cosy cafe and vinyl shop on Market Street. Melody is an ageless patchwork person animated by music, who fled her creator ages ago and has owned a music shop on this spot ever since.
Calistarius Softbinding: a local horror writer with a cult following, who sponsored the construction of a whole new wing of Sherrydown’s library. Calistarius Softbinding is a nom de plume.
Ed Kincaid: a once promising, now disgraced MI5 agent assigned to investigate the more ... esoteric threats reported to the national security hotline.
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:
Ellen Gould as Jess Butterworth, the Spooky
Helen Stratton as Melody, the Constructed
Chris Buxey as Calistarius Softbinding, the Expert
Chris MacLennan as Ed Kincaid, the Professional
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Natalie Winter
SFX AND INCIDENTAL MUSIC INCLUDES: Alexis by Luca Fraula; Wizardtorium by Kevin MacLeod; and may include others made available to use without attribution.
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Life's a game. The world's a stage. And we're Merely Roleplayers.
Merely Roleplayers
10/26/17 • 0 min
Get a flavour of what Merely Roleplayers is about in this trailer.
The Ultimate Retrospective (Deja Vu Backstage)
Merely Roleplayers
08/11/20 • 48 min
All three ensembles look back at the path we charted through the infinite possibilities of Deja Vu.
Programme notes
Our promo this episode is for Dames and Dragons, a tale about banding together with your friends to battle gods who are terrible people and even worse parents, told using Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition.
Season credits
STARRING Ellie Pitkin, Alex Pankhurst, Josh Yard and Dave; Chris Starkey, Chris Buxey and Chris; Helen Stratton, Ellen Gould, Natalie Winter and Strat as themselves (sort of) (various)
SPECIAL GUEST APPEARANCES BY Ellie Pitkin as Nia and The Space Jam Continuum podcast’s Chris MacLennan as CANDICE
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt Boothman, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
MUSIC BY Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY Matt Boothman
IN ASSOCIATION WITH Blackshaw Theatre Company
Find us
Vigil: Bad Dog, Act 2
Merely Roleplayers
10/05/21 • 53 min
Bad Dog, Act Two of Five: In which a threat is named; a girl ignores a warning from her elders; and Gwynned (among others) is made to feel unwelcome.
Programme notes
This production contains drug use, gross tentacles, and fantasy violence with some injury detail.
Tickets are now on sale for Lights Out, the first Merely Roleplayers stage show, at 8:30pm on Sunday 24 October at the Pleasance Theatre in Islington, London, as part of the London Horror Festival. It’s the second half of a double bill with The Scare Slam at 6:30pm. Book Lights Out and the Scare Slam at the same time for a combo discount.
Our promo this episode is for Birdwatching by Miranda Barrett, another London Horror Festival 2021 production.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Persephone ‘Percy’ Byron: A Victorian monster hunter and half-sister of Ada Lovelace. Percy tried to time travel from 1852 to 1666 to stop the summoning of an apocalyptic demon, but something went wrong, and she landed in present-day Sherrydown instead.
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.
Gwynned: a former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan. For the crime of saving a mortal man from the Morrigan’s cruel whim, the goddess exiled Gwyn to live as a duck, overlooked by mortals. Recently freed from the curse, Gwyn is negotiating a new relationship with her mistress.
Jinny Greenteeth: proprietor of the Grove of Oddities, a tacky Sherrydown tourist attraction. In a past life, Jinny was branded a witch after a series of drownings in her Lancashire village.
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:
Ellie Pitkin as Persephone Byron, the Exile
Alexander Pankhurst as Graham, the Summoned
Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine
Josh Yard as Jinny Greenteeth, the Spellslinger
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Natalie Winter
SFX AND INCIDENTAL MUSIC INCLUDES: Long Note Two by Kevin MacLeod; bing-bong by Timbre (Freesound.org); and may include others made available to use without attribution.
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
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FAQ
How many episodes does Merely Roleplayers have?
Merely Roleplayers currently has 336 episodes available.
What topics does Merely Roleplayers cover?
The podcast is about Fiction, Drama, Podcasts, Arts and Performing Arts.
What is the most popular episode on Merely Roleplayers?
The episode title 'Other selves (Vigil Backstage)' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Merely Roleplayers?
The average episode length on Merely Roleplayers is 36 minutes.
How often are episodes of Merely Roleplayers released?
Episodes of Merely Roleplayers are typically released every 7 days.
When was the first episode of Merely Roleplayers?
The first episode of Merely Roleplayers was released on Oct 26, 2017.
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