The Hills of California review – Jez Butterworth’s fractious family of singing sisters

Swivels between past and present … Nicola Turner, Nancy Allsop, Lara McDonnell and Sophia Ally in The Hills of California. Photograph: Mark Douet

Jez Butterworth’s Jerusalem is often cited as the best play of the century but for outliers who think of The Ferryman as a better work, this play comes with all the hope (and pressure) of the same wondrous alchemy. There are several similar components to that 2017 drama as Butterworth reunites with director Sam Mendes and actor Laura Donnelly (who is also Butterworth’s partner). Like the roots of The Ferryman, based on the disappearance of Donnelly’s uncle during the Troubles in 1981, The Hills of California also has a personal foundation, this time in Butterworth’s family.

Coming alive with grief … Helena Wilson and Ophelia Lovibond in The Hills of California. Photograph: Mark Douet