Plot: What’s it about?
The New Burbage Theatre Festival is about to unleash two new productions on stage, one a well known classic, the other, not so much. The pressure is always high for New Burbage to deliver, as their reputation marks them as one of North America’s elite theatre groups. In other words, they need to do more than put on capable productions, they need to captivate the audiences and leave them beyond satisfied. For this run, the theatre will present William Shakespeare’s immortal King Lear and East Hastings, a more modern tale of urban life. King Lear looks to have real potential, as legendary actor Charles Kingman (William Hutt) out of retirement and Kingman plans to not just play Lear, but to become Lear. On the other side, East Hastings with its story of a hooker with a heart of gold, doesn’t seem as solid, but director Darren (Don McKellar) remains optimistic. Will this festival prove to back up the reputation of New Burbage, or help tear it down?
I had heard a lot of positive talk about Slings & Arrows, so I decided to check out the show for myself. I hated to start with the third and final season, but I had read that each season was capable of standing on its own. After watching these six episodes, I can see why there is so much affection for the show, as Slings & Arrows is terrific television. Not a lot of shows can mix drama and comedy with good results, but here is done with immense skill. When the humor is present, the material is riotous, while the more dramatic elements might even elicit a tear or two. Not the kind of reaction that is easy to attain, but Slings & Arrows is well so written and performed, its kind of minor masterpiece at times. The exploration of theatre is excellent, giving insight into that world, both light and realistic. The cast is impressive also, both in terms of regulars and guest appearances and without fail, all came to play and hand in terrific performances. Slings & Arrows is a fantastic show, one that even stands up to repeat sessions, so I recommend this third season and look forward to seeing the previous ones.
Video: How does it look?
The episodes are presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. This is a very recent show, so of course, it looks impressive in this release. I do think the visuals come off a little soft, but I’ve been told that the episodes looked soft on television, so perhaps that is unavoidable. The softness is minor in any case, as detail remains solid and the image is sharp enough. The colors and contrast perform well, with no errors I could detect. All in all, these episodes look quite and despite the slight softness, I think fans will be quite satisfied here.
Audio: How does it sound?
A rather basic, but efficient stereo soundtrack is provided. This show has no real need for depth or presence, so there are no flaws or limitations to mention. The musical numbers sound loud and clear, while other sound effects are well handled also. No, your speakers won’t pulse with power, but this material doesn’t need that. The main element is dialogue and since vocals sound excellent, I have no complaints with the soundtrack. This release also includes a Dolby Digital 5.1 option, but it doesn’t add much to the experience, so I opted for the stereo soundtrack.
Supplements: What are the extras?
You can watch four scenes from the King Lear production, free from backstage edits, which is quite cool. I also enjoyed the reel of bloopers, as well as the almost ten minute interview with co-creator Susan Coyne. This release also includes some still photos, as well as lyrics for three of the songs from the show.
