Award-winning music artist, composer, writer, actor and filmmaker Khalil Madovi has been announced as the final cast member for the world premiere of Hit Machine by Jonathan Caren at Soho Theatre.
Madovi joins previously announced US actors Josh Radnor and Noah Galvin, both making their London stage debut, in the new production directed by Daniel Bailey.
Hit Machine is described as a sharply comedic and emotionally charged collision between two estranged brothers, centred around a genre-bending artist and a song that becomes a battleground for everything left unsaid.
Madovi will play Defy, a fast-rising hip-hop talent navigating the tension between commercial success and artistic authenticity.
The production will feature original music by three-time Grammy Award winner Ben Harper alongside CJ Harper.
The play explores how pain becomes art, how art becomes commerce, and what can be lost when creativity is consumed by the industry.
Khalil Madovi’s recent work spans theatre, television, film and music, including sound design for Red Pitch at the Bush Theatre and a performance in Deep Azure at Shakespeare’s Globe.
Playwright Jonathan Caren said: “I always wanted Defy The Leader to be played by a real musician – someone who has lived the artistic life of the character. Khalil brings that from the inside. He moves seamlessly across genres and mediums, and because he’s playing a musician and designing the sound of the production, his presence will be woven into the entire piece in a fresh way. It’s exactly what the play is about: art as collaboration. You’ll feel his imprint everywhere.”
Josh Radnor is best known for his role as Ted Mosby in How I Met Your Mother, and has an extensive career across film, television and stage.
Noah Galvin is recognised for his work on Broadway in Dear Evan Hansen and for co-writing and starring in the film Theater Camp.
The production is led by producers Juliet Berman, Kater Gordon and BPM Theatrical, with co-producers Jessica Goldman Foung and Owen Drake.
The creative team includes playwright Jonathan Caren, director Daniel Bailey, set and costume designer Amelia Jane Hankin, lighting designer Laura Howard, and sound designer Khalil Madovi.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
