There is something strangely familiar about Hit Machine. Not because its story is predictable, but because it feels as though it belongs on a streaming platform rather than a stage. With its quick-fire dialogue, exaggerated personalities and dysfunctional family dynamics, the production often resembles the pilot episode of a television series that never quite found its audience.
Set in an immaculately curated Los Angeles home, the production leans into the city’s obsession with image. The set is packed with subtle details that root the audience in a world of wealth and wellness, from modern décor to bottles of San Pellegrino. It’s polished without feeling overdesigned, capturing the effortless luxury that LA likes to project.
At the centre of the play are two brothers trying to navigate a relationship that has barely had the chance to exist. Thirteen years apart in age, they share an undeniable connection while simultaneously feeling like strangers. Their interactions are often the most compelling part of the play because they constantly fluctuate between warmth, resentment and awkwardness. It is a believable portrait of two people linked by family but shaped by entirely different lives.
Alex quickly establishes himself as the comic force of the production. His behaviour is erratic, over-the-top and frequently absurd, generating much of the evening’s laughter. At first, his character feels almost too exaggerated to take seriously, but as more of his childhood emerges, particularly the domestic violence he endured and the physical scar he has carried since he was nine years old, his instability begins to make sense.
The audience clearly enjoyed the humour, with laughter running throughout the performance. Much of the comedy is distinctly American, and with American actors Josh Radnor and Noah Galvin leading the cast, the play feels firmly rooted in that sensibility. As a Londoner, some of its cultural references and comedic rhythms felt a little more distant, meaning not every joke landed for me.
Not every emotional beat lands convincingly. Wes’s resentment towards his younger brother often feels more like a narrative device than something that has developed organically. As someone who also has a significant age gap with a younger sibling, I found it difficult to believe that such deep-rooted animosity could exist without the play exploring it in greater depth.
Khalil Madovi delivers a grounded performance as Defy the Leader, a successful musician whose arrival injects fresh energy into the play. Acting as something of an anchor, he pulls the brothers away from their increasingly exaggerated versions of themselves, forcing them to confront reality rather than retreat into old patterns.
The play explores several themes, from childhood trauma and masculinity to the complexities of family relationships, but its observations on wealth and privilege are where it feels most compelling. The line, “How could you be wrong when you have all this money telling you how right you are?” neatly captures the production’s wider criticism of the self-assurance and isolation that financial success can create.
Hit Machine is funny, entertaining and filled with interesting relationships, but it never quite shakes the feeling that its natural home might have been the small screen rather than the stage.
Venue: Soho Theatre
Writer: Jonathan Caren
Director: Daniel Bailey
Music: Ben Harper
Performers incl: Josh Radnor, Noah Galvin, Khalil Madovi
Running time: 75 minutes (no interval)
Until 15 August