The brilliant first trailer for Anna Maxwell Martin’s new period drama has landed. However, as the hilariously punny title suggests, Fackham Hall takes on a comic twist.
The parody of dramas such as Downton Abbey and Gosford Park follows a porter called Eric Noone (played by Ben Radcliffe) who moves into a manor house and strikes up a relationship with daughter Rose (Thomasin McKenzie) of the aristocratic Davenport family.
However, he finds himself framed for murder, while at the same time the family deals with the failed wedding of eldest daughter Poppy (Emma Laird) to her cousin.
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In the trailer, we get a taste of the hilarious antics to come, starting with a shooting trip where all manner of animals including deer and fox are shot out of the sky, as well as Fackham Hall’s motto “incestus ad infinitum”.
We also get a look at Martin’s cold-mannered housekeeper, before Damian Lewis’s Lord Davenport is found murdered, with Inspector Watt (Tom Goodman-Hill) arriving to solve the case – alongside a removable Poirot-style moustache that he hangs on a coat hook.
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As well as the aforementioned stars, Fackham Hall also features Slow Horses‘ Katherine Waterston, Harry Potter‘s Tom Felton and comedian Jimmy Carr – the latter of whom has co-written the screenplay. He also plays a priest who has trouble reading lines as intended, with hilarious results.
“The British Film Industry does two things very well. Period drama and comedy. Now we didn’t have time to write two movies, so we’ve had to mash the genres together,” Carr previously said in a statement. “I’m just slightly worried that if you say Fackham Hall in a posh English accent it might be misconstrued, hopefully that won’t be a problem.”
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Director Jim O’Hanlan added: “Fackham Hall is that rarest of rare hen’s teeth – a genuinely funny, fiendishly clever period comedy which even on the page makes you snort your tea out of several orifices at once, whilst still making you care hugely for the young couple at the centre of all the madness.”
The main role of Eric was originally meant to be played by After‘s Hero Fiennes Tiffin, though was replaced by Masters of the Air‘s Radcliffe.
Fackham Hall is yet to confirm a UK release date.
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Sam is a freelance reporter and sub-editor who has a particular interest in movies, TV and music. After completing a journalism Masters at City University, London, Sam joined Digital Spy as a reporter, and has also freelanced for publications such as NME and Screen International. Sam, who also has a degree in Film, can wax lyrical about everything from Lord of the Rings to Love Is Blind, and is equally in his element crossing every ‘t’ and dotting every ‘i’ as a sub-editor.
