Meet the Four Young Stars of THE HILLS OF CALIFORNIA

Just last week, the four youngest stars from one of the most buzzed-about new plays of the season packed a suitcase and headed west to make their Broadway dreams come true. Lara McDonnell, Nicola Turner, Sophia Ally, and Nancy Allsop are getting Ready to Play the Webb sisters in the Hills of California- characters they created when the show premiered in London's West End earlier this year.

Now, they've taken the show on the road and all four are getting ready to make their Broadway debuts when the play opens at the Broadhurst Theatre on September 29.

"I didn't expect [that we'd move to Broadway]," Allsop told BroadwayWorld. "I really didn't expect it. And then to be able to finish the show knowing that we get to do it again. We're so lucky. We're so lucky to be able to do that because we can take what we've learned throughout the run and doing it eight times a week. We know the characters so well... but also we've had a break, so we're able to kind of look at it objectively and find new things and yeah, it's really, really incredible."

"I think getting to be here in New York with such a beautiful, meaningful play that we love so much is so special," added McDonnell. "And a Broadway debut is such a surreal thing that so many people dream of, and we're about to do it, which is crazy!"

All four agree that Jez Butterworth's play is indeed meaningful. They shared that they had similar experiences reading it for the first time.

"I showed up not knowing what play it was, who was gonna be there, what character I was playing, or anything. So reading the script for the first time with everyone in the room, and hearing it with all the different voices was an experience that I honestly can't describe," said Ally. "It was so surreal. We were all just crying our eyes out within hours of knowing each other and it was incredible. It was an easy yes."  

"I think that even with the auditions- doing bits of the dance, doing bits of script, even before finding out I got it, I was like, 'This is gonna be so hard if it doesn't happen, because it's so gorgeous, even reading tiny chunks of it,'" explained Turner.

"[One the first day] you could tell from all the people sitting at the table how special they all knew it was as well. And so the time and effort and the pure dedication and talent that I think that was in that room was just so incredibly moving, along with one of the most, if not, I think the most beautiful, incredible thing I've ever written," added McDonnell. "I called my mum afterwards, I said, 'It's the best thing I've ever read.'"

The play takes place in the sweltering heat of a 1970s summer, where 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 (played by Turner, Allsop, McDonnell, and Ally) 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. 

All four play younger versions of the characters depicted in the scenes from the 1970's, played onstage by Laura Donnelly, Leanne Best, Ophelia Lovibond, and Helena Wilson.

"One part of the rehearsal experience that I really valued was we got to watch each other a lot, which helped massively with building our characters," explained Ally. "We've spoke a lot about how Ruby laughs. That sounds silly, but she has such a distinct laugh that just exerts joy everywhere and we both try and find that in the play."

"It's so easy to watch the older women. Like they're incredible," said Turner. "And I was watching Helena in rehearsals and picking up on her mannerisms and like talking to her about what her vision of Jill is, that made it so much easier to kind of find our younger parts as well."

"I think being able to watch [Laura] has given me so many ideas and so many things to take away and put into a younger version of her of how we see her end up where she is," added McDonnell. "It's just been such a masterclass of just watching her at work and do her thing. It is just an incredible privilege and an honor."

"How I've thought about it is like... everybody has the little girl inside of them that drives what they're doing," said Allsop. "I think our job is to find who that is and then to play them. And so I like watching what they do and how our younger versions motivate what they do later on."

All four know they are in good company, between their costars and the creators stearing the ship- Butterworth and director Sam Mendez.

"It's an atmosphere that I can't describe," said Ally. "It's so collaborative, but yet so professional and understanding. And they really understand and value our opinions with it. I was lucky enough to do The Ferryman when I was very little. I was about 10 years old and I didn't understand the severity of working with these incredible people. But now that I'm older and I'm able to take all these things in. I mean, who gets to do this at 17!?"

"I think being in the presence of two utter geniuses and getting to hear these ideas that come to them so easily is so magical," added McDonnell. 

While they await opening night, all four are busy taking in their new surroundings and living the dream as new residents of New York City. 

"I feel like when you're in this industry, New York's this massive thing that you'd be so lucky to have the chance to do," said Turner. "Doing it with this show... it's just so surreal, so exciting. We can't wait to start!"

Allsop agreed. "It is literally the city of dreams and it does feel like that doesn't it? I mean it's been such a dream."