Series S00760 - Slings and Arrows

Series consists of scripts, production documentation, props, set designs, promotional material and original film and audio elements (including episode masters, original film and dialogue overdubs) of the Rhombus-produced television series “Slings & Arrows”. Early drafts of scripts by Susan Coyen, Bob Martin and Mark Mckinney refer to the project as “St. Ratford” and “Shakespeareville”. Other writing credits are attributed to Tecca Crosby and Sean Reycraft for Season 3 of the production.
Directed by Peter Wellington, the plot revolved around “legendary theatrical madman” Geoffrey Tennant (Paul Gross) who returns to the New Burbage Theatre Festival (a thinly veiled Stratford Festival) to assume the Artistic Directorship after the sudden death of his mentor Oliver Welles (Stephen Ouimette). Geoffrey is haunted by Oliver throughout all three seasons of Slings & Arrows in which he stages and directs Hamlet, Macbeth and King Lear. Also starring Martha Burns as Geoffrey’s former flame/problematic lead actress Ellen Fanshaw and Mark McKinney as the festival’s scheming General Manager Richard Smith-Jones. Also stars Geraint Wyn Davies, William Hutt, Colm Feore, Sarah Polley, Rachel McAdams, Luke Kirby, Sean Cullen and Don McKellar.
Each season featured a musical number sung written by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison by actors Michael Polley and Graham Harley.
Slings & Arrows was broadcast in Canada on Movie Central and The Movie Network channels in 2003, 2005 and 2006. It was later broadcast on the Sundance Channel in the United States.
The production received Gemini Awards for the best dramatic series and best writing in a dramatic series in 2006 and 2007, best direction in a dramatic series for Peter Wellington in 2006, and acting awards for Paul Gross (2004 and 2007), Martha Burns (2006), Susan Coyne (2006), Rachel McAdams (2004), Mark McKinney (2006) and Stephen Ouimette (2007). The series also received awards from the Writers Guild of Canada Awarded for best drama series in 2004, 2006 and 2007 and awards from the Directors Guild of Canada for picture editing (2006 and 2007), sound editing (2004) and outstanding television series drama (2006).