DVD Review: 'Slings & Arrows' Season 3
DVD Review: 'Slings & Arrows' Season 3

By Matthew Price

Published: June 29, 2007

"Slings & Arrows — Season 3”

The behind-the-scenes shenanigans at the New Burbage Festival continue in season 3 of "Slings & Arrows,” a Canadian television series about a troubled Shakespearean performance group. All six 45-minute episodes of season 3 are included in this set.

As season 3 begins, New Burbage is enjoying success — after season 2's "MacBeth” was a hit, critics and audiences are curious to see the staging of "King Lear,” planned by the festival's artistic director, Geoffrey Tennant (Paul Gross, "Due South”). Though the part is sought by several box-office-draw older actors, Geoffrey decides on an aging former star of the theatre, Charles Kingman (William Hutt). Things go downhill from there, as Kingman is dying of cancer and trying to keep it a secret.

Meanwhile, the festival's financial director, Richard Smith-Jones (Mark McKinney), wants to be more involved creatively, so he sits in on rehearsals for the musical "East Hastings,” directed by Geoffrey's rival, Darren Nichols (Don McKellar).

Former New Burbage artistic director Oliver Welles (Stephen Ouimette) — who died in season 1 and haunts Geoffrey — sees Charles' quest to perform "Lear” as something that could finally loose his soul from the mortal plane. (Whether Oliver is a ghost or just a byproduct of Geoffrey's many breakdowns is left up to the audience to decide.)

Excellent casting and script make "Slings & Arrows” required viewing for fans of theater. But even those who aren't theater buffs will find much to enjoy in the final episodes of this rich, original series.

— Matthew Price