REVIEW: 10k? Jog On! By Tom Watson and Sam Wells at Jack Studio Theatre 9 - 13 June 2026
‘By God, this was good stuff’ ★★★★
In mid 2019 I took a small punt on seeing a new musical with an odd name at the wonderful New Diorama Theatre. It was rough and ready, a sprawling cast of characters, and had a myriad of songs covering genre after genre which were maybe trying a bit too hard. But the story was great (and true!), the performers were fantastic and the songs were hilariously funny. It had something.
Fast forward to mid 2026, this time with my reviewing hat on, I took a small punt on a new musical with an odd name at the wonderful Jack Studio Theatre. And, yes reader, it has something.
10k? Jog On! (awful name for a show) tells the tale of Charlie and Nick, two absolute bumbling wasters who learn about the untimely passing of an old friend and decide to do something to honour his memory. As they are complete losers they don’t attempt anything too grand and land on running a 10km (which for plot purposes keeps things simple but means that we get an extraordinary number of songs about, essentially, being in the gym). For 90 minutes the jeopardy appears to be whether they will in fact do the run, complete the run and maybe become better people as a result. And that’s it.
In truth, the twosome are wholly irritating and their banter grates throughout. I’m not sure what age they are meant to be (early 20’s I guess) but surely no one is this dimwitted? Charlie has broken up with his girlfriend and has disappeared to live on Nick’s sofa and everything is an effort. We don’t know how and if they earn money, we don’t know how Nick can afford his flat and we don’t truly get to the bottom of why they've 'dropped’ their old friend other than ‘we just couldn’t be bothered’. So, a lack of characterisation and a lack of depth combines with a series of choppy scenes largely set in a gym or the aforementioned flat. Yet, against the odds, it’s a joy.
I’ll be honest, my heart sank during the first 5 or 10 minutes as these guys were so very irritating and, combined with ‘jaunty’ video and graphical inserts on a big screen at the back of the stage, I thought I was at some kind of horrific student union ‘thing’. But, with lyrics and writing by Tom Watson (who also plays Charlie), a series of lovely performances by a hardworking cast, and some truly inspired meta-theatrical references (some obvious, some subtle) it soon becomes clear that these guys know what they are about. With sharp and busy direction from Hannah Lochhead and jaunty tunes from composer Sam Wells, the silly story is brilliantly won over by the smartness of the storytelling itself.
As Charlie and Nick, Tom Watson and Nicholas Southcott have an easy way with one another and, by extension, with the audience who, even allowing for friends and family, loved it. Their interplay is smart, both can sing well enough and remarkably, end up being both likeable and believable. The supporting cast are all given their moments in the sun and each plays a number of incidental characters but has a central one which they can own (nb very much like that show at the New Diorama). Thus, George Teller as ridiculous PT Trey is funny and athletic (with a decent voice), debutant Scarlett Irish as Megan lands her big solo tune and standout Chloe Way clowns and gurns to pretty much steal the show (reminding me of the great Katy Owen, a Kneehigh alumnus).
The ending payoff is weak, it sags at times, some of the transitions are messy and the video content needs to be smarter - or junked. But, by God, this was good stuff. I just really really hope that this group - Planet Sin Productions - go away, finesse it and go again. - and repeat.
So - 2019 Operation Mincemeat. 2026 - 10k? Jog On! A long, long way to go but - Sail on, boys (& girls). Sail on.
10k? Jog On!
JACK STUDIO THEATRE
9 - 13 June
10k? Jog On! • Jack Studio Theatre
Writer and Lyricist: Tom Watson
Composer and Musical Director: Sam Wells
Director: Hannah Lochhead
Video Design: Tom Watson
Sound Operator: Sam Wells
Set Design: Zeke Eliasberg
Lighting design: Elliott Shepard
Light operator: Leon Andrews
Filmed segments DOP: James Duncan
Presented by Planet Sin Productions
Nick: Nicholas Southcott
Charlie: Tom Watson
Trey: George Deller
Megan: Scarlett Irish
Pilly: Chloe Way
Male understudy: Tom Holt
Female understudy: Hannah Lochhead
Jamie (voice and video): Matt Peebles
‘10K for dummies’ voice: Oliver Britten
