Fackham Hall Review – This Brisk, Funny Parody of Downton Abbey Which Is Delightfully Throwaway.

Perhaps the notion of uncertain days around us: subsequent to a lengthy span of inactivity, the spoof is enjoying a return. The past few months witnessed the rebirth of this lighthearted genre, which, when done well, mocks the self-importance of excessively solemn dramas with a barrage of exaggerated stereotypes, visual jokes, and ridiculously smart wordplay.

Playful periods, apparently, create an appetite for deliberately shallow, joke-dense, refreshingly shallow fun.

The Latest Addition in This Silly Resurgence

The newest of these absurd spoofs is Fackham Hall, a Downton Abbey spoof that pokes fun at the very pokeable pretensions of opulent British period dramas. Penned in part by UK-Irish comic Jimmy Carr and helmed by Jim O'Hanlon, the feature has a wealth of source material to work with and exploits every bit of it.

Starting with a ludicrous start all the way to its preposterous conclusion, this enjoyable aristocratic caper packs each of its hour and a half with gags and sketches ranging from the puerile up to the genuinely funny.

A Send-Up of Upstairs, Downstairs

Similar to Downton, Fackham Hall offers a caricature of overly dignified rich people and very obsequious staff. The story revolves around the feckless Lord Davenport (brought to life by a delightfully mannered Damian Lewis) and his anti-reading wife, Lady Davenport (Katherine Waterston). After losing their male heirs in a series of calamitous events, their aspirations now rest on finding matches for their two girls.

The younger daughter, Poppy (Emma Laird), has accomplished the family goal of a promise to marry the suitable close relative, Archibald (a wonderfully unctuous Tom Felton). Yet after she pulls out, the burden transfers to the unmarried elder sister, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), described as a spinster at 23 and and holds dangerously modern notions regarding a woman's own mind.

Where the Humor Lands Most Effectively

The parody fares much better when satirizing the stifling expectations placed on pre-war ladies – a topic often mined for earnest storytelling. The stereotype of idealized womanhood provides the richest material for mockery.

The storyline, as one would expect from a purposefully absurd spoof, is secondary to the gags. The writer delivers them arriving at a consistently comedic rate. Included is a murder, an incompetent investigation, and a forbidden romance between the charming pickpocket Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) and Rose.

A Note on Lighthearted Fun

It's all for harmless amusement, though that itself comes with constraints. The amplified absurdity of a spoof might grate after a while, and the mileage for this specific type diminishes somewhere between sketch and feature.

At a certain point, one may desire to return to a realm of (at least a modicum of) logic. But, one must admire a wholehearted devotion to this type of comedy. Given that we are to distract ourselves unto oblivion, let's at least laugh at it.