DVD Review: Slings and Arrows (2003)
The Office with More Drama...Literally
When Oliver Welles (played by Stephen Ouimette), the renowned and respected Artistic Director of the New Burbage Festival gets hit and killed by a pig truck, Geoffrey Tennant (Paul Gross) is called in to take his place temporarily. The problem is that the last contact Geoffrey had with Oliver was when he was the lead in Hamlet; the two had a falling out after Geoffrey experienced a complete mental break during a performance, cancelling the rest of the production run.
Back to His Old Haunt
Now, despite his shaky mental state, Geoffrey must try to keep the New Burbage Festival up and running. And his mental state is not his only worry: his new job also means that he has been reunited with actress Ellen Fanshaw (Martha Burns), with whom he has a complicated romantic past.
Oh, and on top of everything, even though Oliver is dead, he's not exactly gone. His ghost haunts Geoffrey's every move, at times helping with the direction of the latest New Burbage Shakespearean classic, and at other times complicating matters more than Geoffrey could ever imagine.
The Insanity Reaches the Backstage
On the administrative side of things, New Burbage General Manager, Richard Smith-Jones (Mark McKinney - also co-writer of the series) is not only trying to keep the company afloat during these difficult times, but is also struggling to balance his business and artistic sides. Deep down, he's always wanted to be a director. Administrative Assistant Anna (Susan Coyne), in the meantime, is being run ragged - she's in the office so often that it seems like she has moved in permanently.
A Theatre Comedy
If you have ever been involved in the world of theatre - large or small - Slings and Arrows will hit a special spot in your heart. You will be well versed in the language of grants and sponsorships, diva actresses and the stress of finding everyone a seat on an over-sold opening night performance. You may have even had to sneak out of rehearsals to make it to a commercial audition, because theatre doesn't pay as well as television, especially a national TV spot!
An Office Comedy
The beautiful thing about Slings and Arrows, though, is that even if you have never set foot in a theatre before in your life, the comedy is still there. Because regardless of all of the costumes, the rehearsals, the performance mishaps and the ticket-sale goals, the new Burbage Festival is still a company with office politics, employee tension, and gossip.
With brilliant comedic performances from all of the principal cast members, you will find yourself always wanting to know what happens next. Paul Gross is particularly engaging throughout the show's three seasons - it is easy to sympathize with his struggle, but it is also a pleasure to watch him fly off the handle before finding his way once again.
Paul Gross stars in Slings and Arrows
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Slings and Arrows DVD Review
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