New Beginnings: 40 Years And Then Some!
Mindboggling – Toyah’s career began exactly 40 years ago.
There had been roles in amateur theatre productions and work as an “extra” but Toyah’s first actual professional job as an entertainer was filmed exactly 40 years ago – Glitter, a 30 minute drama, part of the BBC’s ‘Second City Firsts’ strand of programming. It also starred a young Phil Daniels in one of his first roles and appearances by Noel Edmonds, Doremy Vernon and the band Bilbo Baggins.
Toyah’s character in Glitter, Sue, also performs two songs with the band Bilbo Baggins, Floating Free and Heartbreaker (it’s unclear whether the songs were known by these titles in 1975 – Toyah wrote, at least some, of the lyrics to both). This was Toyah’s first major acting role, first lead vocal performances, first time as a singer with a band, first time on national TV. Many firsts!
Few watching when Glitter aired in late 1976 could imagine that the girl who played Sue would go on to be a music icon to millions of teenagers, release a discography of incredible albums, be known as one of the most visually creative “pop stars” of the modern music era, and work with the likes of Katharine Hepburn, Sir Laurence Olivier, Maximilian Schell, George Cukor, Diana Dors, Trevor Eve, Sir Christopher Lee, Derek Jarman, Christopher Eccleston and numerous others.
• Celebrate Toyah’s 40 years as a performer and artist: Musician, singer, songwriter, actress, writer… at her official website. View Dreamscape’s feature from 2005 on Glitter. (Top photo © The Official Toyah Willcox Website)
