Jez Butterworth

THE HILLS OF CALIFORNIA

Seaside town Blackpool, the 1970s. The Victorian-era guesthouse where the Webb sisters grew up has lost its former glory – their mother is bedridden, and tourists no longer come to visit. Years earlier, the charming and determined Webb widow, with a will of steel, was single-handedly raising her four daughters to become musical sensations. The girls' voices could have achieved worldwide fame, if only the music they sang hadn’t already become a thing of the past, and an unexpected event hadn’t shaken them from their grand dream.

The sisters have now reunited at the family home, and in their mother’s final days, they reflect on the future that never came to pass. As they vie for their mother’s approval and compare their lives, skillfully choreographed song and dance numbers ignite, rekindling memories, deep-seated resentments and the bittersweet longings of their shared childhood. They revisit the pivotal moment from twenty years ago when a renowned producer arrived, offering the Webb sisters a chance at immense fame and the opportunity to finally escape their financial struggles. Somewhere in the distance, the chords of “The Hills of California” echo, carrying the family back into their past…

After the critically acclaimed performance of "The Last Days of Judas Iscariot", director Mārtiņš Eihe returns to the Dailes Theatre’s main stage with the music-infused play "The Hills of California" by playwright Jez Butterworth, which tells a story of a family’s well-kept secrets. The play, which achieved great success in London’s West End, has also been directed by Hollywood filmmaker Sam Mendes (“American Beauty” (1999), “Skyfall” (2012), and others). This year, it received a nomination for the prestigious Olivier Award for Best New Play.