The one night a year Bristol medics swap scrubs for fake tan and little else

Last night, Saturday 21st March, was arguably the biggest night of the calendar for Bristol medics. In an almost 3-hour long show, over 130 medics across different years groups swapped their scrubs for bedazzled underwear and budgy smugglers. The nations future doctors, coated in fake-tan and little else, took to the stage of the O2 arena to dance, tease and undress in front of a crowd of over 1,500.

Clicendales is one of Bristol’s favourite traditions, dating back to the early 1990s, each year it raises eye-watering amounts of money for charity. This years show, themed ‘in my dreams’, and all the fundraising efforts by the medics over the last three months, has raised a staggering £69,000 for Young Lives Vs. Cancer.

Hosted by a sixth year medic, Max and a charismatic drag Queen, Evamore, the show was entertaining from the off with karaoke, a pole-dance performance and endless innuendos.

The show featured 16 dances; Grannies, Greek Gods and Lifeguards were among the host of caricatures that excited the 1,500 in attendance. All of the dances were intricately choreographed by medics themselves and have been perfected over many months. The dances ranged from teasing non-strips to full-strip numbers in which the dignity of many medics was on the line.

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We spoke to both performers and audience members to get a sense of the excitement surrounding naked medics. Ollie, a third-year medic, explained how he has been training twice a week since January and emphasised the ‘full on’ nature of the process, perhaps something the audience may not have realised as they were confronted with the sultry dance moves of some of the nations future doctors.

There was great expectation for all the dances, but as the show went on the risque-ness definitely increased with lifeguards, spies and lumberjacks left standing very much in their birthday suits. At one point, all that stood between the audience and 15 unclad medics was a plank of wood.

Most of the audience were there in support of friends, housemates and partners (probably a hard watch at points), and there was not a dull expression in the crowd. Since the brith of Clicendales in 1992, it has raised over £600,000 for Young Lives v. Cancer and a spokesperson from the charity, reminded the audience of the real difference such money makes to children up and down the country.