The Hills of California is playing at the Broadhurst Theatre in a strictly limited engagement through December 8.
By Elazar Abrahams
The Hills of California, transferring to Broadway from its acclaimed run in London, is a drama that truly leaves its mark. Written by Jez Butterworth and directed by Sam Mendes, the play offers a deeply moving and expertly crafted look at a fractured family’s journey through memory, grief, and the desire for something better. In a Broadway landscape increasingly dominated by adaptations and musicals, an original drama of this caliber feels especially rare and refreshing.
The play centers on the Webb sisters, who reunite at their childhood home in Blackpool during the sweltering summer of 1976 as their mother, Veronica, lies on her deathbed. The narrative swaps back and forth between this tense present and scenes from the sisters’ childhood in the 1950s, revealing the complex family dynamics and repressed trauma that shaped their lives. The storytelling is gripping, and while it doesn’t reinvent the wheel, it has a depth and richness that keeps you hooked throughout its substantial runtime.
At nearly three hours, The Hills of California could easily drag, but the time flies by—a testament to both Butterworth’s writing and Mendes’ masterful direction. The script is somewhat of a slow burn, but the meatiness is there before long. Mendes knows how to sustain tension and emotion, using the impressive set to full effect. There is one particularly chilling moment in the third act, where a subtle shift in the set’s rotation adds layers to the drama and highlights Mendes’ cinematic approach to stagecraft.
The cast, led by Laura Donnelly as both Veronica and the oldest sister Joan, is uniformly excellent, with standout performances from Leanne Best as the fiery Gloria and Ophelia Lovibond as the dreamer, Ruby. However, it’s the younger actresses playing the sisters as children who steal the show. Their performances are astonishingly good, adding a layer of innocence and vulnerability that contrasts sharply with the present-day struggles of their adult counterparts. The harmonies they sing as a vocal group are beautiful and emotionally resonant, an echo of dreams that never came to fruition.
Though the play excels in many areas, it’s not without its challenges. The thick accents of the characters can be difficult for an American audience to understand at times, making it easy to miss certain lines, though the emotional weight of the whole affair more than compensates for this. Admittedly, that is a minor quibble in an otherwise powerful production.
The Hills of California stands as a remarkable and charged drama. Its exploration of family, memory, and the price of dreams makes it a show to seek out, especially for those craving something original and deeply human on Broadway.
Find tickets and more information HERE.
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