I've seen a lot of Dennis Potter's work, and "Hills" -- for all its oddity -- seems in fact quite typical: Theatrical gimmick? Check. Anti-sentimental? Check? Casual violence? Check. Nastiness/cruelty directed against the weak and vulnerable? Check. Forest of Dean? Check. Memorable? Check. Leaves a bad taste in one's mouth? Check.
The one familiar Potterism this play lacks is sex, which -- despite the fact that it's about seven-year-olds -- is actually a little surprising, as this angry, productive, somewhat unpleasant man very much enjoyed disturbing the public.
One additional element that perhaps makes "Hills" of interest today is that one of the little girls is played by Helen Mirren.
I'm rather glad, incidentally, that I didn't have to pay for a DVD copy; "Hills" is available in its entirety (at least at the time of this writing) on YouTube.
The one familiar Potterism this play lacks is sex, which -- despite the fact that it's about seven-year-olds -- is actually a little surprising, as this angry, productive, somewhat unpleasant man very much enjoyed disturbing the public.
One additional element that perhaps makes "Hills" of interest today is that one of the little girls is played by Helen Mirren.
I'm rather glad, incidentally, that I didn't have to pay for a DVD copy; "Hills" is available in its entirety (at least at the time of this writing) on YouTube.