TDF Stages

Four young UK actors make their Broadway debuts in The Hills of California, a hit new play with songs

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Theatre actors often say their costars feel like family. But the four young women making their Broadway debuts in Jez Butterworth's acclaimed drama The Hills of California, currently running at the Broadhurst Theatre, take that kinship to the next level as they explore the bonds of sisterhood both onstage and off.

Alternating between 1955 and 1976, the play takes place in Sea View, a shoddy guest house in Blackpool, England owned by Veronica Webb (Laura Donnelly), a single parent to four daughters. When the show opens, the grown-up Webb sisters are gathering to say goodbye to their dying matriarch, an uncompromising stage mother who had tried to turn them into an Andrews Sisters-style singing group in their youth. Their dreams of fame never came to pass, and the sisters have long since fallen out of harmony—their disappointments and indictments are legion. But waiting in the wings are their adolescent counterparts, a quartet of close-knit, starry-eyed innocents hoping for a bright future, which makes the downfall of this dysfunctional family all the more moving.

Nancy Allsop, Sophia Ally, Lara McDonnell and Nicola Turner portray the adolescent sisters, just as they did in the production's London world premiere earlier this year. They say the move to New York has made them even closer.

Crammed together on one couch during our Zoom call, they share a palpable camaraderie. "We're in the same apartment building, but we all have our own different apartments. It involves a lot of to-ing and fro-ing from each other's apartments, borrowing each other's clothes and eating each other's food," says McDonnell, who plays Joan, the eldest, most rebellious sister. "It took me 14 days to give Lara her jeans back," adds Allsop, who plays Gloria, the irascible middle sister. "I don't think I've ever spent this amount of time with someone that isn't my family. It's mad really, isn't it?" and they all fall into a puddle of laughter.

Though the time spent in tight quarters certainly fosters the closeness necessary for a convincing onstage sisterhood, the concept wasn't new to any of them. All four have real-life sisters of their own, which Ally, who plays Ruby, the peacemaker middle sister, believes set them up for success. "There's something so special about that relationship that you could never ever find with anyone else," she says. "Because we have real sisters outside of this, there's already that foundation of a connection that you have with other young women."

Still, it's not all sleepovers and songs. The actors credit the play's darker moments with strengthening their collective bond. "Because of all the highs and lows throughout the play, we've seen each other in every state imaginable," explains McDonnell. "I feel as close with these three girls as I do with my actual siblings." Being able to lean on each other and navigate those difficult emotions as a group makes the story, which touches on addiction and abuse, easier to process. "We all have a recognition of, yeah, this is hard, but we're doing it together," she says.

The foursome has developed pre-performance routines to stay grounded. "We do a little ritual backstage where we do a group huddle and I say the words 'light, bright, right and tight,'" says Turner, who plays the youngest sister Jill, the one that ends up never leaving home. "It has to be done, every single show," emphasizes McDonnell, as it helps get them through a story in which family members aren't always kind to each other. Their cheerful, optimistic sisters stand in stunning contrast to the bitter, angry adults they become.

"I think it's so important that they're innocent," says Allsop. "It sets up what happens later on in the play." That's why the actors do their best to put the grown-up versions of their characters out of mind. "You have to forget all about that," says Ally. "It's what's so magical about the play. You see these children just loving their lives."

They're particularly joyful when singing classic tunes in four-part harmony with military precision, including "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy," "It Never Entered My Mind," "When I Fall in Love," "Dream a Little Dream of Me" and the number that lends the play its title. These sequences also give the actors a chance to show off their musical theatre chops: Ally, McDonnell and Turner are all former Matildas and Allsop is an erstwhile Annie. "We've been doing 'Boogie' now for so long, coming up on a year," says Ally, noting that the sisters aren't meant to bring down the house. "In the context of the play, we hope these dances show the audience the love and the care these sisters have for each other."

That affection is obvious, onstage and beyond. As they chat about their roles, the line between their fictional sisterhood and their real-life connection blurs to the point where it's not always clear which they're talking about. "Every time we're onstage, I just feel like I'm with my sisters," says Turner as a chorus of "awws" erupts from the others. Turner blushes and rolls her eyes a bit. A very sisterly moment indeed.

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TDF MEMBERS: At press time, discount tickets were available for The Hills of California. Go here to browse our latest discounts for dance, theatre and concerts.

The Hills of California is also frequently available at our TKTS Discount Booths.