There are some traditions that quietly become part of the fabric of Deeside, returning each year with familiar warmth and a sense of occasion. The Fingask Follies are very much one of them.
Now celebrating their 30th season, the much-loved troupe recently returned to the Glen Tanar Ballroom with their latest musical revue, The Jest is History - an evening filled with music, sharp humour, and the kind of playful mischief audiences have come to expect over the years.
For three decades, Fingask Castle has been home to the Follies, whose particular blend of comedy, song, and spirited performance has earned a loyal following far beyond Perthshire. Their productions have always felt less like formal theatre and more like being welcomed into a gathering of old friends, where laughter comes easily and no subject is entirely safe from gentle satire.
This year’s production takes audiences on a light-hearted journey through the ages, from smoke signals and standing stones to modern technology and artificial intelligence.
As ever with the Fingask Follies, historical accuracy is treated with a healthy degree of suspicion. Instead, The Jest is History delights in clever invention, quick-witted sketches, and songs that move effortlessly between the absurd and the surprisingly poignant.
The Glen Tanar Ballroom proved a fitting setting for the performance. Its intimate atmosphere suited the production perfectly, allowing every raised eyebrow, perfectly timed aside, and burst of laughter to ripple easily through the room.
There is a confidence that comes with thirty seasons of performing together, certainly, but also a sense of genuine enjoyment that remains entirely infectious. The result is a show that feels both polished and wonderfully relaxed at the same time.
Beyond the music and comedy, the evening also carried a deeper purpose.
This year’s performance supported two important charities: Home-Start Deeside and Forget Me Not Club.
Thanks to the generosity of the audience, alongside raffle prizes kindly donated by local businesses, the evening raised valuable funds to support families and individuals within the community.
It is perhaps this balance of warmth, humour, and generosity that continues to make the Fingask Follies so enduring. Thirty years on, they remain as entertaining as ever and, judging by the applause that filled the ballroom at the close of the evening, there are still many more stories left for them to tell.