'It's not just a hobby, it's a hunt'

'A master class in improvised comedy theatre'
★★★★★ The Reviews Hub 

“It’s Detectorists meets Waiting for Godot trackside.”

The Gricers is a bittersweet, profound, and completely spontaneous theatre show created to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the modern passenger railway. Inspired by Francis Bourgeois’s The Trainspotter’s Notebook and Tom Quinn’s Railways' Strangest Journeys, this beautifully scored production is an affectionate celebration of the brilliant absurdity of British hobbies and the enduring friendships that keep us grounded.

Meet Mike and Mark. Their quest isn’t for fame or fortune. It’s for the 4:32 from Manchester Piccadilly, the 11:05 to Carlisle, and the one elusive engine number that will make their collection complete. They are ‘Gricers’—standing trackside in rain or shine, a fiercely passionate, uniquely British tribe.

But the real journey isn’t on the rails; it’s in the waiting. It’s found in the shared flasks of lukewarm tea, the comfortable silences, and the decades of shared history. This is a story of what happens in the quiet spaces between arrivals and departures—a tale of two men driven by a passion to complete a collection, and the unspoken hope that they might finally find what they are looking for.

Performed by veteran improvisers Mike Burton (Stupid, The Atom) and Mark Smith (Hoof!, Taxi Tales), alongside live, atmospheric soundscapes mixed on stage by Fergus Wynne, this spontaneous theatrical event features compelling long-form storytelling, a brilliant cavalcade of characters, and an exquisite live DJ score.

Concept and structure created by: Mark Smith 
Co-Development by: Mike Burton and Mark Smith 
Performed by: Mike Burton, Mark Smith and Fergus Wynne

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Press:

'A heartfelt story of male friendship’ 
★★★★ Arts Review Hub 

'This is fresh, funny, and inherently “dangerous” improvised theatre' 
★★★★★ The Reviews Hub 

Photo credit: Andrew AB 

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Gricers team:

Mike Burton discovered his passion for improv in 2008 while training with Adam Meggido, founder of Showstopper! The Improvised Musical and The School of Night.

Inspired by that experience, he went on to co-create one of the UK's most delightfully bizarre double acts, performing in comedy clubs across the country and enjoying a successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe.

​Today, Mike performs regularly with The Atom, blending the techniques he learned in 2008 with the sharp, fast-paced style of UCB to create a distinctly bold and theatrical performance style.
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Mark Smith is a multi-award-winning actor, director and producer with over 30 years of experience.

Mark's performance credits include the short-form show "Monkey Lab" (Rawhide Comedy), which ran weekly at the Casa from 2001 to 2003. He then transitioned to long-form improv, working on "Hoof!" a show developed with Todd Stashwick and John Thies of the legendary New York company Burn Manhattan. "Hoof!" toured nationally and internationally from 2004 to 2014.

Mark regularly guests with teams when he is not teaching or directing improv. 

Fergus Wynne is an improviser and a DJ regularly mixing up a storm for parties across the UK. 

Since graduating in 2025, he has performed at a variety of festivals along with his own work in the successful improvised performance he created, depicting the 90s free party scene.

He also loves to skateboard. 

Previous Shows:

Oxford Improv Festival - 2026 (Jan)
Liverpool Improv Festival - 2026 (May)