The Merely Players

The Merely Players is a company of about 20 performers, formed in 2009 around a core of LAMDA graduates.

They have a commitment to accessible theatre, and to Shakespeare’s plays in particular, though this year they mounted the first professional production of Jude Cole's WW1 play Last Man Standing.

They like playing challenging spaces and seek to find ways to keep casts small. They run a programme called Merely Readings in which actors gather every Monday evening to simply read a new classical text. This has developed a new community of actors and allows each the chance to explore a new part every week as well as sparking ideas for new projects.

The award is made for their latest project, Merely Shakespeare. Rehearsing just two days a week and playing in-the-round with no costumes and possible audience involvement, this presents a different Shakespeare play each month for just one performance.