Hit Machine review – slick music biz drama strikes too many false notes

Soho theatre, London
Josh Radnor is a music executive whose life is upended by his wayward brother, in a play about masculinity, creativity, appropriation and trauma

On paper, writer Jonathan Caren’s Hit Machine has all the makings of a chart-topping smash. Featuring the London stage debuts of Josh Radnor (How I Met Your Mother) and Noah Galvin (Dear Evan Hansen), with direction from Daniel Bailey (Red Pitch) and music by Grammy-winning bluesman Ben Harper, the three-hander tackles the topics of masculinity, appropriation and buried family trauma through the prism of the creative process.

Set in the louche, soft-furnished home of music mogul Wes (Radnor), the play begins promisingly. Wayward younger brother Alex (Galvin) arrives and throws a plaid-shirted bomb into Wes’s carefully manicured and minimalist life. We begin to see how each sibling plays their role in the strained family dynamic: Wes the high-achiever on the hedonic treadmill always striving for more, and Alex the sprightly yet secretive youngster striving only for approval.

At Soho theatre, London, until 15 August
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