Fackham Hall – A Brisk, Humorous Parody of Downton Abbey That's Refreshingly Lightweight.
Perhaps the notion of an ending era around us: subsequent to a lengthy span of dormancy, the parody is staging a return. This summer saw the rebirth of this lighthearted genre, which, when done well, mocks the self-importance of overly serious genres with a barrage of heightened tropes, physical comedy, and stupid-clever puns.
Unserious periods, it seems, beget deliberately shallow, gag-packed, pleasantly insubstantial amusement.
A Recent Offering in This Absurd Wave
The newest of these silly send-ups is Fackham Hall, a takeoff on the British period drama that needles the very pokeable pretensions of opulent UK historical series. Penned in part by UK-Irish comic Jimmy Carr and overseen by Jim O'Hanlon, the feature has plenty of inspiration to mine and wastes none of it.
From a absurd opening all the way to its ludicrous finish, this enjoyable silver-spoon romp crams all of its runtime with jokes and bits that vary from the juvenile to the authentically hilarious.
A Mimicry of Aristocrats and Servants
Much like Downton, Fackham Hall delivers a spoof of overly dignified rich people and very obsequious staff. The story revolves around the feckless Lord Davenport (played by a delightfully mannered Damian Lewis) and his anti-reading wife, Lady Davenport (Katherine Waterston). Having lost their male heirs in a series of calamitous events, their hopes fall upon marrying off their daughters.
The junior daughter, Poppy (Emma Laird), has secured the family goal of a promise to marry the appropriate close relative, Archibald (a perfectly smarmy Tom Felton). However when she backs out, the pressure transfers to the unmarried elder sister, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), considered a "dried-up husk already and and holds radically progressive notions concerning women's independence.
Its Comedy Works Best
The spoof achieves greater effect when joking about the stifling social constraints imposed on pre-war ladies – a subject typically treated for earnest storytelling. The archetype of respectable, enviable womanhood provides the richest material for mockery.
The plot, as one would expect from a purposefully absurd spoof, is of lesser importance to the gags. Carr delivers them maintaining a pleasantly funny pace. There is a killing, an incompetent investigation, and a forbidden romance between the charming thief Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) and Rose.
The Constraints of Pure Silliness
The entire affair is in lighthearted fun, but that very quality comes with constraints. The amplified silliness of a spoof may tire quickly, and the entertainment value on this particular variety runs out somewhere between a skit and a full-length film.
At a certain point, one may desire to go back to the world of (very slight) coherence. Nevertheless, it's necessary to admire a genuine dedication to this type of comedy. If we're going to entertain ourselves relentlessly, it's preferable to find the humor in it.
