Slings & Arrows

Seven years after suffering a mental breakdown during a performance of "Hamlet" at the New Burbage Festival, Geoffrey Tennant is struggling to make ends meet, managing the dilapidated Theatre Sans Argent (Theatre Without Money). Oliver Welles, still the artistic director at the festival, is mounting his tenth identical production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream", and is worried that his has lost his creative edge. Richard Smith-Jones, general manager of the festival, attempts to save the funding as their sponsor, Lenstrex, goes through a change of management. The new Lenstrex liaison, Holly Day, seems interest in the festival, and in Richard. Kate McNab, an actress making her debut in the play, is shocked that her high school drama teacher wants to give up his teaching career to act in the festival.

Richard find himself overwhelmed trying to keep the festival running smoothly in the wake of Oliver's death. Kate ditches rehearsals to audition for a Corny Smacks commercial, and unwittingly runs into Hollywood action star Jack Crew. Jack has been hired to play Hamlet in the festival, but his arrival has been forgotten during the preparations for Oliver's funeral. Emma begins a relationship with Sloan, a young flower deliveryman who rescues her neglected chameleon. Geoffrey visits the funeral home, and questions his sanity when Oliver begins to speak to him from "the other side". Richard turns Oliver's funeral into a stage production in an attempt to be promoted to artistic director. Despite his delivering of a scathing speech at Oliver's funeral, the board of directors offers the job of artistic director to Geoffrey, on a temporary basis. Anna asks Geoffrey to help carry out Oliver's final request, a request that may have legal implications.

Geoffrey hands the actual production of Hamlet over to Stage Director Darren Nichols, so that he can devote himself to supervising the Festival's new money-making scheme, the "Shakespeare in Business Seminar". Holly Day spirits Richard off to Toronto to see Mamma Mia and indulge in more scheming. Kate and Jack enjoy a movie-popcorn afternoon while tongues wag. Geoffrey manages to alienate everyone when he is interviewed by a theatre critic, then gets drunk and challenges Darren to a sword duel.

“Slings & Arrows’” second season revisits the comically dysfunctional New Burbage Theater Festival, under the artistic direction of Geoffrey Tennant (Paul Gross). Tennant’s triumph with “Hamlet” has done nothing to solve the theater’s financial woes, and now he has no choice but to mount a new production of the most jinxed play in theatrical history: “Macbeth.” Ellen's boyfriend also proposes to her, but thanks to Geoffrey's interference, she declines.

It's Christmas and Ellen, enjoying her re-kindled love with Geoffrey, decides to celebrate in style - but fails miserably. Meanwhile Geoffrey struggles with The Scottish Play, a fact that isn't helped by Anna's discovery of eight boxes' worth of production notes left by Oliver and the arrival of the star of the show, egomanical actor Henry Breedlove. Richard, running out of options to solve the festival's financial dilemma, decides to apply for a government credit. There's a catch - the money must be used for 're-branding'. So Richard employs a hot new advertising agency to come up with a new, youthful image for New Burbage. Anna has her hands full with a bunch of teenage interns. And to top it off, Oliver (or rather his ghost) returns to the stage in the middle of an elementary school production of Macbeth.

The curse of Macbeth seems to work its dark magic on the festival. Geoffrey struggles with Oliver over staging, the guest director for Romeo and Juliet breaks her neck falling off the stage - the only one available to replace her is Geoff's arch-enemy Darren Nichols( Don McKellar) - and Ellen finds out she's being audited by Revenue Canada. Richard is shocked to find that Sanjay Rainier, head of Froghammer Advertising, has launched a controversial campaign to re-brand the festival. Only, the regular subscribers are not amused and cancel in droves. Meanwhile, Henry Breedlove (Geraint Wyn Davies) undermines Geoffrey's direction of the play and manages to draw Ellen to his side, which is due to the fact that Eleen is losing Geoffrey to the ghost of his former boss.

With last season's Macbeth the toast of Broadway, Geoffrey is under pressure to deliver another hit. The play he has chosen is an even greater challenge, King Lear. Terrified to climb this Everest alone, he seeks out his ghostly mentor, Oliver Wells. But Oliver is nowhere to be seen. As for Ellen, Geoffrey's on again/off again lover, she is too busy taking Geoffrey's panic personally to be of any help. So Geoffrey turns to his boyhood hero Charles Kingman, who he coaxes out of retirement to play King Lear.

Richard discovers a kindred spirit in Nigel, the talented young writer of East Hastings. With Nigel's encouragement, and a few tips from Geoffrey, Richard takes on Darren's musical dictatorship.

While Oliver looks on smugly, Andrew forces Geoffrey to confront his feelings about his ghostly nemesis. The bond between Sophie and Paul is weakened by Paul's increasing fascination with Megan and her singing voice.