Butterworth's Hills are alive with sound of a riveting seaside family saga

THE latest collaboration between writer Jez Butterworth and director Sir Sam Mendes is a strange and enthralling female-centred family saga set in Blackpool in 1958 and in the sweltering summer of 1976.

- Nick Curtis

It’s packed with warmth, hurt and rich texture, and also with a fascination for eras the two fifty-something men will have known slightly or not at all. A rivetingly assertive central performance from Laura Donnelly sets the tone for a strong ensemble cast and the play more than earns its three-hour running time, at least until the ending. Sir Sam told me last year Butterworth originally handed him “half a play”. It’s now nine-tenths of a superb one.