Slings and Arrows

Winner of 13 Gemini Awards and showered with critical acclaim, this darkly comic Canadian series follows the outrageous fortunes of a dysfunctional Shakespearean theatre troupe, exposing the high drama, scorching battles, and electrifying thrills that happen behind the scenes. Paul Gross (Tales of the City, Due South) stars as Geoffrey Tennant, the passionate but unstable artistic director of the New Burbage Theatre Festival. Haunted by the ghost of his predecessor (Stephen Ouimette, Cardinal), he struggles to realize his creative vision while handling touchy actors, a jittery general manager (Mark McKinney, Superstore), a pretentious guest director (Don McKellar, Sensitive Skin), and his own tempestuous romance with the festival’s leading lady (Martha Burns, Alias Grace). The backstage bedlam mirrors the onstage angst as Geoffrey directs three of Shakespeare’s masterpieces: Hamlet, Macbeth, and King Lear. Season-long guest stars include Rachel McAdams (The Notebook), Sarah Polley (My Life Without Me), Luke Kirby (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Colm Feore (The Borgias), and renowned Stratford Festival actor William Hutt in one of his last performances.