Dreamscape – Toyah Willcox Fansite

The first promo photo for Sleeping Beauty 2012. Click to visit the Marlowe Theatre’s website.

It’s only April but the Marlowe Theatre’s 2012 panto, and cast, has just been announced:

Gareth Gates and Toyah Willcox are on board for the Marlowe Theatre pantomime…

Singer Gareth Gates and pop legend Toyah Willcox will be the star acts at this year’s Marlowe Theatre pantomime, Sleeping Beauty. After finishing runner-up to Will Young in Pop Idol in 2002, Gates went on to sell 3.5 million records with No1 hits such as Unchained Melody and Anyone of Us (Stupid Mistake).

After a stint on Dancing On Ice in 2008, Gates – who will play the Prince – has performed in musicals Joseph And His Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat and Les Miserables, both on the 25th anniversary tour and in the West End.

A veteran of six Marlowe Theatre pantomimes, punk princess Willcox has had 13 top 40 singles and released 22 studio albums in her 30 year career. Set to play the Wicked Fairy, she has also presented TV shows The Good Sex Guide Late, Watchdog and Songs of Praise.

Producer Paul Hendy said: “Over the past few years, we have built a reputation for casting highly-talented performers, and Sleeping Beauty is no exception. In fact, they are all top quality – our leading man Gareth has an incredible voice and Toyah has to be the best female pantomime artist in the country. “All the cast are going to be a joy to work with and, more importantly, a joy to watch.”

Last year’s pantomime Cinderella – the first at the new Marlowe Theatre – was seen by a record breaking 83,000 people.  Sleeping Beauty will run at the Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury, from Friday, November 30 to Sunday, January 20, 2013. Box Office 01227 787787 or visit www.marlowetheatre.com.

• The Marlowe Theatre website has also updated this morning with this news | Also reported by ITV News and Kent News.

Another positive review for Saturday’s Brighton gig.

Resplendent in headwear which would make Vivienne Westwood shake her head and tut, Toyah Willcox gave her audience a lesson in stagecraft, turning a messy dress rehearsal into a command performance through sheer chutzpah and professionalism. Fully aware of the irony implicit in a woman of ‘(almost) fifty-four’ belting out the lyrics ‘I don’t wanna go to school’, she introduced one of her biggest hits with a giggle and the words ‘let’s get childish’.

• Continue reading at ‘The Latest’ here.

A five star review, and another gallery of excellent live Toyah photos, for ‘The Changeling Resurrection’ @ Brighton by ‘This Is Not Retro’.

Not only does Toyah look fantastic but she’s in fine voice too, confidently romping through a setlist of classic material with obvious glee and enjoyment.

• Continue reading at ‘This Is Not Retro’ here.

Yesterday saw a great online reaction to Toyah’s premiere of ‘The Changeling Resurrection 2012’ on Saturday night. The first gig, at Brighton’s Concorde2, was a big success with Toyah playing to a sell out crowd!

Post-gig Toyah tweeted: “Brighton was mind blowing. So wonderful to be on stage again“, and yesterday: “Thank u 2 every1 for making brighton totally awesome! My fav comment ‘the best set list EVER!’“, and: “Now I can’t wait for Bristol“.

Videos were uploaded to You Tube, and fans enthused about Toyah, the gig and the set list all over Facebook, with lots of great photos of Toyah onstage, and with fans, being added throughout the day.

Yesterday was Falling To Earth‘s busiest day so far, with almost three times as many visits than other days. Thanks to everyone who paid us a visit!

Last night a fantastic ‘Changeling Resurrection’ gallery, packed with great photos, was added to Toyah’s official website… What a great weekend. Viva La Changeling Resurrection… It’s only just begun!

• View all of our ‘Changeling Resurrection’ news here, and the great photos from the gig, here.

(Thanks to Angus Turner & Karelian Blonde for the photos – More later)

Another great photograph from Saturday’s gig, this one with the Sharon and Toyah, both looking wonderful! Sharon had a brilliant time at the Brighton gig and says that Toyah’s headdress looked amazing. Sharon also did something I’ve always wanted to in Brighton… visited some of the Quadrophenia locations. Click below to view a larger version. (Thanks again to Sharon)

Lärwi’s friend Karelian Blonde, aka Erja, compiled a brilliant video of their visit to Brighton and time at the gig on Saturday night. It looks like they had a wonderful time. Click below to view.

 • Read Lärwi’s post on Saturday’s gig at The Toyah Willcox Interview Archive.

That photo seems to have a life of its own!

The latest sighting is at the, excellent, ’80s Actual’ website, in an article from Saturday. The article is a look back on a July 1982 press report on the rise of compact discs, but also included in the ‘The Sun/Bizarre’ scan is the Simon Fowler photo accompanying news about the book ‘Toyah’ by Mike West (again!)

Toyah Can’t Bare It: This is pop star Toyah as she hoped her fans would never see her. The bare-breasted portrait was taken by photographer Simon Fowler for Mike West’s new biography of the singer published by Omnibus at £2.95. (Typically ‘The Sun’ is incorrect. The photo was taken in 1979 as Toyah details in the Sounds interview from 1982)

The 15-28 April, 1982 issue of ‘Smash Hits’ has just been added to the ‘Like Punk Never Happened – Smash Hits Archive’.

Toyah is included again this fortnight in a ‘Bitz!’ text article, by grumpy Rosalyn Chissick, on the newly published book ‘Toyah’ by Mike West.

Last night Toyah’s official website launched a dedicated ‘Changeling Resurrection’ page, with a fantastic Tour Gallery of photos, by Leigh Carter.

Toyah’s CHANGELING RESURRECTION TOUR kicked off to a resounding success last night with a sell-out show at Brighton’s Concorde 2 Club.

With material not performed in thirty years, including the hit single Brave New World, a new costume and head-dress, the blistering show was met with rapturous applause from buzzing fans who were keen to show their appreciation on Facebook and Twitter after the concert.

Visit our newly launched CHANGELING RESURRECTION TOUR page, which features an amazing official gallery of photographs by Leigh Carter taken at last night’s show. More official photography, along with exclusive video footage, coming soon.

Two fantastic photos, from last night’s gig, by Angus Turner. Click below to view larger versions. FTE has been incredibly busy today, definitely the busiest since the site started just over a month ago! There are probably more that I didn’t notice, but as of half an hour ago at ‘You Tube’ there are clips of Angel & Me, Warrior Rock, and It’s A Mystery. More amazing photos of Toyah by Angus, and that news round-up, tomorrow. (Thanks to Angus)

More great photos of Toyah from last night in Brighton. View larger versions of the first two here and here. (Thanks to Lärwi for these excellent shots)

What a gig! Wow!

The set list was pretty special. “Dawn Chorus” live … wow! And big up to Chris, he sang the backing vocals on “Warrior Rock” to perfection!

Toyah was in good humour all night with quips like “I’ve just heard you’re ALL running the marathon tomorrow!” It’s the London to Brighton run today.

She wore the new head dress first, then the Picasso coat with a brown headpiece and then the pink head dress with the samurai coat. Everybody was taking shots and video so there will be plenty in Youtube and Facebook I’d imagine.

Check out this amazing photo of gorgeous Toyah and gorgeous Lärwi at last night’s Concorde2, Brighton gig. The first concert of ‘The Changeling Resurrection’ tour was a massive success, with celebratory tweets from Toyah and roars of approval from fans all over Facebook. The set list, which, for fear of being lynched, I’m not going to reveal here in full, included six songs from ‘The Changeling’ (incl. the sublime ‘Castaways’, ‘Brave New World’, ‘Dawn Chorus’ and ‘The Packt’). Official photography from the gig will be added to toyahwillcox.com today. There’s also a great photo of Toyah with, ‘I Was A Teenage Toyah Fan’ author, Chris Limb at the book’s Facebook page. Please pay a visit to Falling To Earth again later for more great photos from last night, a mini review of the gig by Lärwi and a round-up of post-first gig news. Click below to view a larger version of this great photo.

Just a reminder that Celebrity Fantasty Homes with Toyah is showing again this evening on Home (and Home +1)

This originally aired on Home back in October 2010.

Celebrity Fantasy Homes: Home: Sunday 15th April: 6.00pm
Celebrity Fantasy Homes: Home +1: Sunday 15th April: 7.00pm
Toyah Willcox. Celebrities hunt for a new home. Gaby Roslin helps punk-pop princess Toyah Willcox search for a second home, in Richmond upon Thames, with a budget of £650,000.

It’s almost time for the first gig to begin… The doors have, definitely, blown open.

The ultimate celebration of, the mighty, ‘The Changeling’! Are you sitting comfortably?

Some of the promo bits and pieces I created earlier this year for ‘The Changeling Resurrection’.

Toyah was interviewed in 1998 by Richard Evans. This included Toyah discussing the forthcoming CD reissues of ‘Anthem’ and ‘The Changeling’.

HOW DOES IT MAKE YOU FEEL TO KNOW THAT ‘ANTHEM’ AND ‘THE CHANGELING’ ARE COMING OUT AGAIN ON CD AFTER ALL THESE YEARS?

I’m relieved they’ve come out because for years people have been asking me to put them out and nothing’s been done about it, so I’m hugely relieved that they’ve been put out because there’s a demand. There’s a massive demand in the commercial world to use songs such as ‘It’s A Mystery’ and ‘Thunder In The Mountains’ on films and adverts which from a writers point of view I would really like to see happen as it gives the music a new audience.

What’s even better for me is that it’s ‘The Changeling’, which has been the most positively received… when we first released ‘The Changeling’ it was such a huge departure from ‘Anthem’ that it actually got slated in the press, it sold well, but not as well as ‘Anthem’ and it’s actually a better album. I mean it’s now getting better star-ratings in the reviews and that’s bloody brilliant, I’m really chuffed about that!

• Continue reading this great interview at ‘This Is Not Retro’ here.

Screen caps from the 1982 interview. Click on these to view larger versions.

This rare television interview is from that amazing Summer of 1982, the fantastic era of ‘The Changeling’. I’m not sure what the programme was called (possibly… It’ll Be A Laugh, Let’s Get The Office Junior To Do The Interviews This Week… just kidding, we love him really!). Toyah looks incredible here (how absolutely vibrant did Toyah look throughout 1982?) and talks ‘Brave New World’, making the video, ‘The Changeling’ tour dates and more.