Next up was Sketchy’s newcomer Glorian Gray in full tigress costume, dancing to The Lion Sleeps Tonight and Teach Me Tiger. Liberty Pink returned in a new costume to duet with side-kick puppet David Peckham for On A Tree By A River (Tit-Willow) from the Mikado, then went on to pose with stage manager Fleur du Mal as ringmaster and tigress respectively.

Ditzy Diamond returned with a set that was, quite literally, nuts, performing to The White Stripes‘ Little Acorns whilst dressed (and undressed) as a squirrel, and Mysti Vine brought another puppet to the show with her snake-charming set based on Kaa‘s song Trust In Me from Disney’s The Jungle Book. Events were brought to a close by Liberty Pink (in yet another costume change) and her version of Tom Lehrer‘s Poisoning Pigeons in the Park. All in all, another fun show. I finally broke my recent losing streak by winning an inflatable monkey for my sketch of Ditzy Diamond, and fellow scribbler Cathy Simpson also won an elephant.

The next class will be held this coming Saturday 17th July upstairs at the Victoria, with the theme of Beauties of the Blitz. Tickets are available on the door, priced £8.50. Doors open at 3.30pm. See you there!

A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away, or last Saturday to be precise, the anti-art burlesque life-drawing class known as Dr Sketchy’s beamed back down to Birmingham. And boldly going where no life-drawing class has gone before, the theme this time was X-Files. Hosted, as ever, by the Decadent Gent, this time regenerated into the form of the Fourth Doctor, we were treated to a selection of broadly Sci-Fi related routines, starting with Rouge Rum the Murderous Mare, featuring Crazy Horses by the Osmonds, a persuing policeman and, er, a horse’s head.

Following was Meg La Mania performing (and singing) Science Fiction/Double Feature from the Rocky Horror Show, with 3D glasses and retro ray-guns. Next up was Scarlet Fever, taking a break from her normal co-hosting duties to perform an alien-headed routine to the tune of Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds (thankfully posing without the alien mask!)

Miss Rose Thorne’s appearance in a long overcoat with a sack over her head served to introduce her Elephant (Wo)man set, complete with prosthetic trunk. Our final act of the evening was the Chantilly Belles with their simply stunning Bride of Frankenstein themed disco set, to the tune of Le Freak by Chic. The evening was rounded up with a final pose from the Belles alongside Miss Rose Thorne. All in all a thoroughly entertaining evening, at which I was accompanied by fellow cartoonist Cathy Simpson, who managed to run off with two of the evening’s prizes (using one of my brush pens, I might add). I myself won one round, for my drawing of the Chantilly Belles, which was, appropriately enough, a Cyberman, of which I’m very proud!

Roll on the next Dr Sketchy’s in September! The theme next time, I’m told, is Boudoir, and is expected to be a popular one, so book up your tickets as soon as you can.