"The Hills of California" are Something to See, Indeed.
A new play from Jez Butterworth beautifully examines the choices and regrets of four sisters as they reunite at their mother's deathbed.
It’s no real secret that show business loves to tell stories about itself. Whether self-critical or self-adulating, writers love to explore the highs and lows of the industry within which they exist. This fall, Broadway will welcome several new shows and revivals that examine the darker side of show business. While entries like “Sunset Boulevard” and “Gypsy” are more well-known and beloved by theatre enthusiasts, “The Hills of California,” a new play from Jez Butterworth, might end up being the best evening of theatre among this collection.
Set in an English seaside resort long past its prime, “The Hills of California,” opens on a reunion of the four Webb sisters as they gather to make their peace with their ailing mother who is not expected to survive the night. Awaiting the arrival of Joan (Laura Donnelly)—the fourth sister whom none of the family has spoken to since she left for California as a teenager—Ruby (Ophelia Lovibond), Jill (Helena Wilson), and Gloria (Leanne Best) reflect and reminisce on their childhood in the resort—owned by their mother—and the unexciting paths their lives took.
As the sisters interrogate the end result of the tradeoffs and sacrifices they made in life, we move back and forth between these present-day conversations and scenes from the sisters’ teenage years. The long flashbacks give us our first true insight into the bitter conflict ever present under the surface of each sister’s relationship to each other and their mother.
Veronica Webb, after losing her husband during World War II, trained her daughters to sing and dance, seeking to fashion them into a performing act in the style of Hollywood’s Andrews Sisters. When Veronica is able to arrange an audition for the girls with a talent agent, only Joan (played as a teenager by Lara McDonnell) is offered a chance to “make it,” and Veronica is forced to decide how important her dream for her daughters is—and what she’ll sacrifice on Joan’s behalf to make it happen.
I won’t spoil the details of Veronica’s moral struggle at the play’s critical juncture, but it is both weighty and heart-breaking. “The Hills of California” shows the nasty cycle of abuse that has historically thrived in the entertainment industry. When we finally meet Joan as an adult toward the play’s conclusion, we see just how much the abusive, cutthroat world of Hollywood has taken a toll on her person.
Even though the cautionary tale of the dark side of show business is a well-documented and well-worn trope, “The Hills of California,” directed by Sam Mendes, manages to do something that, at the very least, feels novel. It does not paint Joan as merely a tragic victim with no agency, nor Veronica as nothing more than a mother deluded with visions of her family name in lights. Instead, we see characters that are complex in their motivations and regrets—no one is to blame, but everyone is at fault.
This show’s cast deserves to be highlighted for their flawless performances. There is no weak link in this production—even among the supporting roles. But, it is the work of the 8 women who portray the sisters (two actresses a piece, one as the adult character and one as the teenager; Donnelly also portrays Veronica in the flashback sequences) that really stands out and earns this show the status of a “must-see.” Their performances are engrossing in painful and beautiful sequences alike as each sister carefully unravels like layers peeling off an onion throughout the show’s nearly three-hour run time.
As my first review of the fall season, “The Hills of California” has gotten me off to an excellent start. Whether you have a particular interest in stories about show business or family dramas, I believe it will be worth your time to pay a visit to this show.
“The Hills of California” is now running at the Broadhurst Theatre through December 22, 2024.