Following their triumphant production of The Ferryman, Tony®-winning Playwright Jez Butterworth and Oscar and Tony-winning Director Sam Mendes reunite for The Hills of California.
In the sweltering heat of a 1970s summer, the Webb sisters return to their childhood home in Blackpool, an English seaside town, where their mother Veronica lies dying upstairs. Gloria and Ruby now have families of their own. Jill never left. And Joan? No one’s heard from her in twenty years… but Jill insists that their mother’s favorite won’t let them down this time.
The run-down Sea View Guest House is haunted by bittersweet memories of amusement park rides and overdue bills. Back in the 1950s, each night the girls rehearse their singing act, managed by their fiercely loving single mom. But when a record producer offers a shot at fame and a chance to escape, it will cost them all dearly.
The ensemble acting in director Sam Mendes’ blistering production from London’s West End is off the charts when it comes to veracity, intensity and the manifestation of how childhood trauma invariably impacts adulthood. And the characters Butterworth forges are so empathetic that I never wanted this three-act show to end. Or even to pause. Not with everyone in such pain. As I write the morning after, I feel like I am still recovering from the level of emotion this thing churned around in me.
The four actresses cast as the young sisters — Nancy Allsop, Sophia Ally, Lara McDonnell, and Nicola Turner — are likewise excellent, though I doubt their character arcs will leave any aspiring performers with stars in their eyes. Both in spite of that and in part because of it, “The Hills of California” is essential viewing for anyone who loves theater.
| 2024 | West End |
West End |
| 2024 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play | Laura Donnelly |
| 2025 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Scenic Design of a Play | Rob Howell |
| 2025 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Costume Design | Rob Howell |
| 2025 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Direction of a Play | Sam Mendes |
| 2025 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Play | Laura Donnelly |
| 2025 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Lighting Design | Natasha Chivers |
| 2025 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Broadway Play | The Hills of California |
| 2025 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Scenic Design | Rob Howell |
| 2025 | Tony Awards | Best Costume Design of a Play | Rob Howell |
| 2025 | Tony Awards | Best Direction of a Play | Sam Mendes |
| 2025 | Tony Awards | Best Lighting Design of a Play | Natasha Chivers |
| 2025 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play | Laura Donnelly |
| 2025 | Tony Awards | Best Scenic Design of a Play | Rob Howell |
| 2025 | Tony Awards | Best Sound Design of a Play | Nick Powell |
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