Slings & Arrows: Theater Comes Alive

I spend much time on this blog discussing American and British television, but Canadian TV is not often on my radar. However, I recently discovered the spectacular Slings & Arrows, which follows the on- and off-stage antics at the fictional New Burbage Festival, a Canadian Shakespeare festival that is run by a group of passionate incompetents. The show ran from 2003-2006: in that time, it picked up a slew of awards, garnered widespread critical acclaim, and delivered eighteen episodes of simply scintillating television.

Each of the show's three seasons focused on the events surrounding the production of a Shakespearean tragedy: first Hamlet, then Macbeth, and finally King Lear. In the first episode of Season 1, we are introduced to New Burbage's artistic director, Oliver Welles (Stephen Ouimette), who has fully embraced the commercialization of the Festival and is turning in a very uninspired production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. However, at the end of the episode, Oliver is killed when he is run over by a truck, leaving the Festival in disarray. Enter Geoffrey Tennant (Paul Gross), a former colleague of Oliver's who suffered a nervous breakdown during a legendary production of Hamlet seven years ago and has been struggling to make ends meet ever since. He is appointed as New Burbage's new artistic director, but lest you think that was the end of Oliver Welles, don't forget, this is a Shakespearean show. The dead have a way of re-appearing.

In homage to Oliver, Geoffrey is tasked with putting on a brand new production of Hamlet. However, he is haunted to distraction by Oliver's ghost and his constant outbursts as he chats with Oliver assure everyone that he is still mentally unstable. Thankfully, he is so passionate about Shakespeare and able to draw such great performances from his actors that no one bothers to complain...much. Apart from the artistic side of the Festival, Slings & Arrows also explores the business troubles plaguing New Burbage and the much-beleaguered manager, Richard Smith-Jones (Mark McKinney). Richard has to find a way to combat flagging ticket sales, an aging subscriber base, and his desire to just put on musicals, which leads him to devise various business models that will either bankrupt or bankroll the Festival in years to come. 

Written by Susan Coyne, Mark McKinney, and Bob Martin, each season of Slings & Arrows is a rich and expertly crafted tale about what it takes to put on a show, both artistically and financially. There are bombastic directors, harried stage managers, naive ingenues, and weary theater veterans. Every scene offers a new comic or dramatic insight into the role that theater plays in the modern world. If you love Shakespeare, you'll love the behind-the-scenes look at how these plays are painstakingly crafted for their audiences. If you don't love Shakespeare, this show will introduce you to what you've been missing. 

Slings & Arrows features outstanding performances from incredible Canadian actors (Season 1 featured a fresh-faced Rachel McAdams before she was whisked away to Hollywood), who capably alternate between comic farce and high-stakes drama. The British model of limited production means that every episode contains plenty of humor and pathos to keep you moved and entertained for 45 minutes. It's a wonderful treat for any fan of television, theater, or just great entertainment. To watch or not to watch? That is not the question - just watch it.