THE MERVs
Mervyn Stutter's Spirit of the Fringe Awards
The Mervyn Stutter ‘Spirit of the Fringe’ Awards (aka ‘The MERVs’), along with Mervyn’s regular ‘Pick of the Fringe’ show, are this year celebrating their 32nd anniversary which makes them one of the oldest Awards on the Fringe.
Seven Awards are given in this special ‘Spirit of the Fringe Awards’ show which is always the final show each year (this year, Saturday 23rd Aug 2025). These Awards acknowledge and celebrate the talent, hard work, pluck and sheer doggedness demanded of performers from all genres on the Fringe to make a show a success.
Winners of a MERV are chosen from the 140 amazing shows that have been highlighted during the regular 2025 ‘Pick of the Fringe’ showcases, so it is fair to say that the winners are the crème de la crème. Given this, it could justifiably be argued that this is the best show of the whole ‘Pick of the Fringe’ run. The ‘Spirit of the Fringe’ Awards were created to recognise those who show commitment in the face of little support or funding or those who have consistently provided audiences with quality entertainment over the years.
Previous Winners of a MERV
- The MERVs
2024 Winners of The MERV Award
KAFKA’S APE – Tony Bonani Miyambo • DAVID EAGLE: THE EAGLE IS CANDID • SUSHI TAP SHOW 2024 • ROY ORBISON – Oliver Harris • LEWIS MAJOR: TRIPTYCH • ELF LYONS: HORSE • DANCE N’SPEAK EASY • TINY LITTLE TOWN
2023 Winners of The MERV Award
BIRTHMARKED – Brooke Tate • IAN STONE • DEATH SUITS YOU – Sam Hooper • N.ORMES – Agathe Bisserier & Adrien Malette Chenier • GOODBYE UNCLE FUDGEY – Tom Greaves • AL PORTER • A MIGRANTS SON – Michaela Burger
2022 Winners of The MERV Award
THE MISTAKE • BALLET FREEDOM • THE TIGER LILLIES • MADE IN INDIAN/BRITAIN • TAIWAN SEASON: SEE YOU • AURIE STYLA: GREEN • SK SHLOMO: BREATHE: THE PLAY THAT BECOME A RAVE • BLACK IS THE COLOR OF MY VOICE
2019 Winners of The MERV Award
CLEOPATRA HIGGINS (for Tina Turner and Aretha Franklin Story) • TAIWAN SEASON: FLOATING FLOWERS • WHO CARES • INTERBEING – Stories from a Current War • DIVET SHOW: THE GREATEST DIVAS • TOM STADE: YOU AIN’T SEEN NOTHING YET • HAVANA AFTER DARK
2018 Winners of The MERV Award
BOWJANGLES: EXCALIBOW • JIM TAVARE: FROM DEADPAN TO BEDPAN • FREEMAN • BEN HART: THE NUTSHELL • FRINGE WIVES CLUB: GLITTERY CLITTERY • MATT FORDE: BREXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP • MISHA’S GANG
2017 Winners of The MERV Award
CHRISTINE BOVILL • MANDY KNIGHT – THE DARK KNIGHT • MATT PANESH • DESCENT • SLEEPING TREES AT THE MOVIES • JO CAULFIELD: OLDER. WISER. SMARTER. MEANER. • WERELDBAND: SLAPSTICK
2016 Winners of The MERV Award
MICHAEL ROULSTON • PAUL FOOT: ‘Tis a Pity She’s a Piglet • JOAN • PETE FIRMAN – TriX • BUCKET LIST – Theatre Ad Infinitum • THE TAP PACK • JunNk
2015 Winners of The MERV Award
SPENCER JONES • ECHOES by HENRY NAYLOR • JESS ROBINSON • FILLS MONKEY • GEORGE EGG • 1972: The Future of Sex • LE HAGGIS
2014 Winners of The MERV Award
THE TARZAN MONOLOGUES • MS SAMANTHA MANN • CHRISTIAN REILLY • ARCOS DANCE • KRAKEN (TRIGVEE WAKENSHAW) • CROFT AND PEARCE • THIS IS BRASIL • BARRY FERNS
2013 Winners of The MERV Award
LADY RIZO • LIGHTS CAMERA IMPROVISE • TANGRAM • SMOOTH FACED GENTLEMEN – TITUS ANDRONICUS • MARCEL LUCONT • BANGALORE ROCK
2012 Winners of The MERV Award
KATE DAISY GRANT • A SOLDIER’S SONG • SCHOOL OF NIGHT • TIFFANY STEVENSON • TOM FLANAGAN in KAPUT! • DAVID BATES – FAMOUS SPIEGELTENT • FELIPE – BLUES! • RHYTHMIC CIRCUS
2011 Winners of The MERV Award
TECHNODELIC COMEDY • THE ADVENTURES OF ALVIN SPUTNIK • IVOR DEMBINA • BANE 1 2 & 3 • KEV ORKIAN • SOWETO ENTSHA
2010 Winners of The MERV Award
ARTHUR SMITH • STICK STONES BROKEN BONES • SARAH LOUISE YOUNG • FRAGILITY OF XTOM ADAMS • HENNING WEHN • THE MAGNETS
2009 Winners of The MERV Award
OUT OF THE BLUE • SIMON MUNNERY • STALAG HAPPY • FELICITY WARD • CHICKENSHED • SHOWSTOPPER – THE MUSICAL • CHARLIE BAKER • MERCY MADONNA IN MALAWI
2008 Winners of The MERV Award
RICARDO GARCIA’S FLAMENCO FLOW • GRAHAM ELWELL • THE REBEL CELL • ZOE GARDNER • STEWART LEE • GREYFRIARS TWISTED TALES
2007 Winners of The MERV Award
TRIPOD • TIM FITZHIGHAM • FAUSTUS • JOSEY LONG • IVAN BRACKENBURY (aka TOM BINNS) • CAMILLE
2006 Winners of The MERV Award
WOMEN WITH STANDARDS • OWEN O’NEILL • CAL McCRYSTAL • HELLO DALA • ANDY ZALTZMAN • THE 4 NOELS • NEIL EDMOND • NICK AND PHIL MORIARTY
2005 Winners of The MERV Award
JANE BOM-BANE • NICK PYNN • DAVID SANT • KAHLIL ASHANTI • TRICKLOCK • PHIL NICHOL • PRIORITE A GAUCHE • CHILDREN OF THE SEA
2004 Winners of The MERV Award
PLUCK • PETER ATERMAN • MARK WATSON • NEW INTERNATIONAL ENCOUNTER • LONG JOURNEY HOME • SABOTAGE • MIKE BLAHA and NIGEL MILES-THOMPSON • WE ARE KLANG • BONGO FURY
2003 Winners of The MERV Award
GUY MASTERSON • FASCINATING AIDA • DAVID O’DOHERTY • TRICK BOXING • SOL BERNSTEIN • MIKELANGELO & THE BLACK SEA GENTLEMEN
2002 Winners of The MERV Award
TERRA FOLK • A NIGHT IN NOVEMBER • FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS • WHITE SIDE STORY • VELOCITY • GOGO THE BOY WITH THE MAGIC FEET
2001 Winners of The MERV Award
DOUBLE EDGE DRAMA • RUSSELL CHURNEY • PHIL NICHOL • MICHELLE BUXTON • LINDA MARLOWE • PEEPOLYKUS • ANTONIO FORCIONE • MAC TONTOH AND THE KETE WARRIORS
2000 Winners of The MERV Award
BLUE GRASSY KNOLL • ROBERT FARQUHAR • OVER THE EDGE • INFINITE NUMBER OF MONKEYS DO GRAVITY • EARL OKIN • ROSS NOBLE • JIVE JUNKIES
1999 Winners of The MERV Award
TIM VINE • BARB JUNGR • OMID DJALILI • BRUTAL TELLING • SAMUEL ZUCKERMAN’S WARHORSE • TREE HOUSE • GENTLEMEN VOLUNTEERS
1998 Winners of The MERV Award
HUUN HUUN TU • SHAKTI(GARAGE) • YAMATO • DAVE JOHNS • MONKEY AND THE WATERFALL • TALL STORIES • JIVING LINDYHOPPERS • BOOTHBY GRAFFOE
1997 Winners of The MERV Award
PIP UTTON • YLLANA (GLUB GLUB) • SHELAGH MARTIN • CRYING IN PUBLIC PLACES (JUMP) • PETER STRAKER • HUMOURBEASTS • RED SOX (PIGSTY)
1996 Winners of The MERV Award
ED BYRNE • LEAGUE OF GENTLEMEN • DAVID BENSON • BROKEN DREAMS THEATRE CO. • PHILIP JEAYS • LEGS ON THE WALL
1995 Winners of The MERV Award
WILL GAINES • THE SECOND CITY • REJECTS REVENGE • IVAN HENG • MICHAEL MEARS
1994 Winners of The MERV Award
EARL OKIN • OMID DJALILI • MAGDELENA BUZNEA • SCOTT CAPURRO • UMBILICAL BROS • HONKIN’ HEP CATS
1993 Winners of The MERV Award
SIBIKWA PLAYERS • GARY DRABWELL • THEATRE SANS FRONTIERES • THE CAGE • WOODY BOP MUDDY • HE HAN (From ZHANG HOUDE TROUPE)
How much are tickets?
All shows: £17.50
Over the 32 years of doing this show we have kept the prices as competitive as we can.
We think we’ve done it again this year with our top price of just over £10 per hour*!
* Remember, it is a 90 minute show, not one hour!
