Jez Butterworth's THE HILLS OF CALIFORNIA Reveals Full Broadway Cast

The complete Broadway cast has been announced for the New York premiere of Jez Butterworth’s new play The Hills of California, directed by Sam Mendes. 

The full Broadway company will include Bryan Dick, Richard Short, David Wilson Barnes, Richard Lumsden, Ta’Rea Campbell, Sawyer Barth, Ellyn Heald, Cameron Scoggins, and Max Roll. The company understudies are Erin Rose Doyle, Sadie Veach, Liz Pearce, Jessica Baglow, Liam Bixby, and Q. Smith.

As previously announced, the cast will feature the play’s acclaimed leading London cast members on the Broadway stage – Olivier Award winner and Tony nominee Laura Donnelly as Joan/Veronica; Leanne Best as Gloria; Ophelia Lovibond as Ruby; Helena Wilson as Jill; Nancy Allsop as Young Gloria; Sophia Ally as Young Ruby; Lara McDonnell as Young Joan; and Nicola Turner as Young Jill.

The Hills of California will begin previews Wednesday, September 11 ahead of a Sunday, September 29, 2024 opening night at the Broadhurst Theatre (235 W. 44th Street) in a limited engagement.

Tickets are now on sale at Telecharge.com or by calling 212-239-6200. The Broadhurst Theatre Box Office will open for in-person sales on Wednesday, August 14 at 10am. 

The Hills of California marks Tony and Olivier Award winner Butterworth’s newest play since the multi-award winning The Ferryman, also directed by Oscar, Tony, and Olivier Award winner Mendes.

In June the production concluded its limited engagement at the Harold Pinter Theatre on the West End, where it received 2024 Best New Play and Best Leading Actress in a Play (Laura Donnelly) Olivier Award nominations.

“What is a song? A song is a dream... a place to be. Somewhere you can live.  And in that place, there are no walls. No boundaries. No locks. No keys. You can go anywhere...” 

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 four young sisters 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 full creative team for The Hills of California includes Rob Howell (designer), Natasha Chivers (lighting design), Nick Powell (composer, sound design and arrangements), Ellen Kane (choreography), Campbell Young Associates (wigs, hair & makeup design), Candida Caldicot (musical supervision and arrangements), Kate Wilson (dialect coach), Amy Ball (UK casting director, Verity Naughton (UK young persons’ casting director), Jim Carnahan CSA, JV Mercanti (US casting director), Zoé Ford Burnett (UK associate director), Joan Sergay (US associate director), Gemma Fuller (UK associate choreographer), Sara Brians (US associate choreographer), Charles M. Turner III(production stage manager), and Ashley-Rose Galligan (stage manager).

CAST BIOGRAPHIES

Laura Donnelly (Joan/Veronica) is an Olivier Award-winning and Tony nominated actress who will reprise her leading role in The Hills of California written by Jez Butterworth and directed by Sam Mendes where she received a second nomination for Best Actress at the Olivier Awards this year. Other stage highlights include the Tony and Olivier Award-winning play The Ferryman written by Jez Butterworth and directed by Sam Mendes and The River on Broadway co-starring Hugh Jackman. Screen credits include HBO’s “The Nevers,” Starz’s “Outlander,” and Marvel’s “Werewolf By Night” alongside Gael Garcia Bernal. 

Leanne Best (Gloria). Select theatre credits: The Hills of California (Harold Pinter Theatre, West End); Sweat (Donmar/Gielgud); The Human Voice (Gate Theatre); Educating Rita, The Hypochondriac, Fleet Street Nativity, The Way Home, Macbeth (Liverpool Everyman); The Matchbox (Liverpool Everyman/Tricycle Theatre); Damned by Despair (National Theatre); A Streetcar Named Desire, The May Queen, Our Country’s Good (Liverpool Playhouse). Select television credits: Insomnia, The Bay, G’Wed, Ted Lasso, A Town Called Malice, The Walk In, Compulsion, Close To Me, Harm, Young Wallander, Carnival Row, Tin Star, Cold Feet, Babs, Good Karma Hospital, Black Mirror, Home Fires, Lucan, Ripper Street. Select film credits: Raging Grace, Bolan’s Shoes, Black Dog, Harm, Little Joe, The Infiltrator, Native, Cotton Wool, Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Ophelia Lovibond (Ruby). Theatre Includes: The Hills of California (Harold Pinter Theatre); The Libertine (Haymarket); Nightfall (Bridge Theatre); The Effect (Sheffield Crucible); The Stepmother (Chichester Festival Theatre). Television Includes: “Hooten and the Lady,” “Trying,” “Mr. Sloane,” “Inside No. 9,” “FM,” “Minx,” “Partygate,” “This England,” “Trying,” “Roadkill,” “Feel Good,” “Elementary,” “W1A.” Film includes: Nowhere Boy, London Boulevard, A Single Shot, Here, Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made, Rocketman, The Autopsy of Jane Doe, Man Up, Guardians of the Galaxy, Mr Popper’s Penguins, No Strings Attached.

HELENA WILSON (Jill) (she/her). Theatre: The Hills of California (Harold Pinter Theatre, West End); Linck and Mülhahn (Hampstead Theatre); Jack Absolute Flies Again (National Theatre); White Noise (Bridge Theatre); The Deep Blue Sea (Chichester Festival Theatre); Measure for Measure (Donmar Warehouse – Ian Charleson Award Commendation); The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (Donmar). After graduating Oxford University in 2016, Helena played Bolette in Kwame Kwei-Armah’s production of Ibsen’s The Lady from the Sea at the Donmar. That same year, she made her stage debut as Ophelia in Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, directed by David Leveaux at the Old Vic.

Nancy Allsop (Young Gloria/Patty) (she/her). Theatre includes: The Hills Of California (Harold Pinter Theatre, West End); The Fever Syndrome (Hampstead Theatre); God Bless the Child (Royal Court Theatre); Annie (Piccadilly Theatre, West End); The Sound of Music (International Tour); The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Manchester Cathedral).Television includes “Young Wallander” (Netflix).

SOPHIA ALLY (Young Ruby) (she/her). Training: The Brit School, Ariel Drama Academy, Redhurst School of Dance. Theatre: The Hills of California (Harold Pinter Theatre; West End), Far Away (Donmar Warehouse), Matilda the Musical (RSC), The Ferryman (Royal Court Theatre & Gielgud Theatre; West End), Sunset at The Villa Thalia (National Theatre), Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs (Chequer Mead). Film: A Modest Defeat, The Current War, My Zoe, Be Good (Latitude Film Festival 2019 Gold Award - Lead Actor), Artefact, The Writing Box. TV: “The Marlow Murder Club,” “The Peripheral,” “The Salisbury Poisonings,” “Curfew.” Audio Book: Below (Audible).

Lara McDonnell (Young Joan) (she/her). Lara’s feature credits include the Academy Award-winning Belfast, written and directed by Kenneth Branagh for Focus Features/Universal; Artemis Fowl, also directed by Kenneth Branagh, for Disney; Greatest Days for Elysian Films; Visitation (Blinder Films); The Delinquent Season (Parallel Films) and Love, Rosie (Canyon Creek/Constantin Films). Television includes “The Last Bus” (Wildseed/Netflix), “The Holiday” (Chalkboard), “Ballistic” (Automatik Entertainment/New Regency) and “To Walk Invisible,” written and directed by Sally Wainwright for BBC. Stage work includes the title role in Matilda for the RSC/West End and The Hills of California in the West End.

NICOLA TURNER (Young Jill) (she/her). Theatre includes: The Hills of California (Harold Pinter Theatre; West End), Matilda (UK and Ireland Tour); Billy Elliott (UK and Ireland Tour/Germany), Jack and the Beanstalk, Cinderella, The Wizard of Oz (Neon Theatrical).

Bryan Dick (Jack Larkin/Dennis). Theatre includes All of Us, The Alchemist, The Life of Galileo at The National Theatre and Hobson's Choice (West End). Film includes Master and Commander and The Numbers Station. Television includes “Shameless,” “Wolf Hall” and “A Thousand Blows.”

Richard Short (Bill/Mr. Halliwell) touts an impressive career spanning film, television and theatre. Credits include starring alongside Denzel Washington in The Tragedy of Macbeth, nominated Best Lead Actor in “Mary Kills People” (TV) and originating the role of Richard Burton in Cleo. Currently Co-Writer/Producer of Two Of Us - A Play (UK).

David Wilson Barnes (Luther St. John). Broadway: The Lieutenant of Inishmore, Ink. Other theater: Sam Gold's Othello (NYTW), Becky Shaw (2nd Stage), The Big Meal (Playwrights Horizons) TV: the upcoming Apple+ “The Savant,” “George & Tammy,” “The Son.” Film: Miss Sloane (John Madden, dir), Bridge of Spies (Steven Spielberg, dir).

Richard Lumsden (Joe Fogg/Mr. Potts) is an actor, writer, musician and composer. Films include Sense and Sensibility, Darkest Hour, Downhill, Sightseers and Swede Caroline. Numerous TV roles and stage appearances at London’s Almeida, Kiln and Royal Court Theatres. He’s also written for TV, composed feature film scores and had a novel published by Headline. 

TA’REA CAMPBELL (Biddy/Penny) has been a professional performer for over 20 years and is thrilled to return to Broadway with this production. Recent:  Hamilton (Angelica), Sister Act (Deloris), Lion King (Nala), Aida (Aida alternate), OBC of The Book of Mormon, Leap of Faith and Little Shop. Proud member of the Grammy and Tony award-winning choir BIV.

Sawyer Barth (Tony) is an actor, director, writer and musician currently pursuing their BA in Theatre from Fordham College at Lincoln Center. This is Sawyer's Broadway debut. Past Credits: Film: And Then I Go (Flake), Super Dark Times (Charlie); TV: “The Kids Are Alright” (Frank).

Ellyn Heald (Mrs. Smith). Broadway debut. Regional: Satellites (Premiere Stages); And Then There Were None (Florida Rep); An Inspector Calls (Florida Rep); Passing Strange (The Wilma). Training: MA in Classical Acting, LAMDA. Founder of @livingroomproductionsnyc, host of "Objects of New York" podcast for Radio Free Rhinecliff. IG: @ellynheald

Cameron Scoggins (Dr. Rose) is thrilled to be making his Broadway debut with this incredible production! Theatre: Hir, Pocatello, Lovers, The Big Meal. TV: “PValley,” “Nashville,” “Shades of Blue,” “The Deuce,” “Z,” “Chicago Med,” “Prodigal Son,” “Blue Bloods,” “The Good Wife.” With love and gratitude to his family and Sahar. 

Max Roll (Mr. Smith). Broadway: An Enemy of the People, Good Night, Oscar. Off-Broadway: Mrs. Warren’s Profession. Regional: The Importance of Being Earnest. Canada: 2 Pianos 4 Hands. UK: Much Ado About Nothing, Twelfth Night, The Great Gatsby. Endless gratitude to Henderson Hogan. Proud graduate of the Yale School of Drama. Peachu and Minchka, you are so loved.

Erin Rose Doyle (Understudy) (she/her) is extremely excited and honored to be back on Broadway! Recent Credits: Parade (Broadway/NYCC, Mary Phagan). Love and gratitude to the creative team and Stewart Talent, as well as her close friends and family for their constant support. @erinroseleigh

SADIE VEACH (Understudy). Broadway debut! TV: “Harlan Coben’s Shelter” (Amazon); “Law and Order” (NBC, S22E18). My words here are the closest I’ll get to shouting from the rooftops, so from this page I shout: You matter! You matter! You matter! For Moses, Zachy, and Brick. 

Liz Pearce (Understudy). Broadway/Off-Broadway: Billy Elliot (OBC), Kinky Boots, SUFFS, Sweeney Todd. Select Regional Theatre: Pacific Symphony, Goodspeed, Alliance, Cincinnati Playhouse, St Louis Rep, Denver Center, Alabama Shakespeare, Bay Street, Sacramento Music Circus, Pioneer. CCM BFA. For Aunty Shirley and my Mum.

JESSICA BAGLOW (Understudy) (she/her). Trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Received an Ian Charleson award commendation for her leading role in Pericles, Shakespeare’s Globe. Film and Television includes The Railway Children Return (Studio Canal), “The Street,” “Gentleman Jack,” “Waterloo Road” (BBC).

LIAM BIXBY (Understudy) graduated from The Lir Academy (BA) in 2021 and has since appeared on stage in Ireland at The Gate Theatre and The Abbey Theatre and has toured internationally with THISISPOPBABY. Screen credits include Wreck (BBC Three/Hulu) and Galaxy Dance (BBC Three/HaZimation).

Q. SMITH (Understudy). Originated the role of Hannah & Others in Come From Away. Other Broadway Credits: Les Miserables and Mary Poppins. Favorite roles to date: Caleb's Mother and wife to Lawrence Stallings. Special thanks to my parents, BRS/GAGE, friends and family. Love thy neighbor. www.yourstageyourmoment.com