The perfect cure for a hangover or the inevitable Fringe fatigue.
The Edinburgh branch of Dr Sketchy has changed management many times over its life with several hiatuses and change of venue but the current team are determined to bring some continuity to the capital’s Sketchy session and, by returning Dr Sketchy to the Fringe for the first time in seven years - not counting the occasional, unofficial pop-up events - they’ve really cracked on to a winner.
The format is simple. Models are singers, dancers, burlesque artistes, freakshow acts or even just someone with a fabulous outfit. Poses are short - never more than 5 minutes - and often involve games such as drawing the model without using your hands or sketching without looking at your drawing board. Prizes are small but given out so regularly that there’s a good chance of being rewarded for your effort and no-one cares about talent or ability. There’s booze and banter from the compere and, at the session I attended, two guest acts in the form of German burlesque beauty Missa Blue and right-wing Rat-Packer Frank Sanazi. The first performance from Ms Blue started strongly with her dressed like a rubber-clad weimar gigolo but descended into lip synching and a weak finish however, Herr Sanazi effortlessly raised laughs - and the occasional uncomfortable gasp - with his portrayal of one of the most evil men in history as a playful and hilarious lounge crooner.
Whether you consider yourself a modern daVinci or you claim that your unidentifiable scrawls are in the cubist style, Dr Sketchy’s Anti-Art School is a fantastic way to spend an hour and could be the perfect cure for a hangover or the inevitable Fringe fatigue.
