Hit Machine at Soho Theatre Review
Written by Annie for Theatre and Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review. All views are our own
Jonathan Caren’s latest play Hit Machine has landed in London from across the pond, ready to impress UK audiences with its star studded cast and creative team. Asking questions around the music industry - such as what does it take to create a hit? What is the secret to success? And what is at stake to get there? We are transported into the world of battling brothers Wes and Alex.
The estranged brothers are reunited for the first time in a clearly long stint apart, and there’s no pause before they settle back into evidently old patterns of bickering and arguing. Wes is the impatiently stoic old brother to Alex - whose infantile behaviour causes rifts between the two immediately. Wes is reluctant to address the money issues their mother is seemingly having, and Alex’s obvious pain towards his father makes it clear the two have very different recollections of their upbringings. The two could not be less alike, and yet there are momentary cracks where it’s apparent that, despite their differences, there is still a brotherly bond there that cannot be broken.
Wes has made a name for himself in the music industry - clearly doing very well for himself despite having lost his own creative spark, he’s able to dissect problems in other peoples’ work. Alex has a bounty of talent but lets his emotions get the better of him and as a result has lost out on many opportunities. Alex tries to reconcile with his brother by reminiscing over how they used to write songs together as children, yet Wes is dismissive to remember his childhood and quickly deflects.
Alex is desperate to be given a chance, and Wes reluctantly offers him a chance to work on his demos ahead of setting up a meeting for him. Alex then, in his passionate, over-excited frenzy, boycotts Wes’ meeting with his newly signed artist Defy (portrayed by Khalil Madovi), who takes great interest in Alex’s samples, much to Wes’ dismay.
This is a real turning point in the play and quickly breaks the hostile frame that Wes is desperate to keep composed. Josh Radnor’s portrayal of Wes is exceptionally icy, building up this defensive armour, yet the cracks slowly begin to show. Contrasting him is Noah Galvin’s hilariously childish take on Alex - his colourfully boyish attempts to keep his brother’s attention are painfully honest.
Caren’s script is excellently honest and human - the brothers feel real, and every interaction, reaction and response feels like something anyone would naturally gravitate towards. This is the true strength of the show. It does not try to over-embellish natural human emotion, and instead uses music to offer meaning where words can’t quite reach. The 90-minute play flies by, but has a good tempo throughout, with a steady build to the peak. Many plot points are shown throughout, so when we approach the final scenes, we’re already fully aware of the situation. The use of music throughout is a clever choice - beautifully adding to the pain and confusion of the brothers. The music imitates emotion and expresses moments that the pair are unable to vocalise. It’s evident music has been their release from a young age, and despite now being both of their careers, there is still a lot of pain and offering the same escapism as it did in their childhoods. Ben Harper’s musical additions are hits in their own right, and the expressions of the music being built throughout the play imitate the building of the brothers’ relationship, perhaps, or signifies the lack of growth the pair have really achieved in their adult lives.
The play ends with Defy performing the latest collaborative effort with the brothers, and it’s a lovely way to close out the play - centralising the importance of music and how unifying it can be, and proving the brothers are working to repair their relationship.
Hit Machine is an impressive play which works well. The underlying message of music is the most interesting element and works well alongside the story. It’s a fast paced, well written play - and I look forward to seeing where it will go next.
Hit Machine plays at Soho Theatre until 15 August 2026.
★★★★
