Dreamscape | The Toyah Willcox Fansite

The Breath Catcher: An original short story written & read by Toyah Willcox

“I have always loved short stories, they can inhabit any world from suburbia to the fantastic. When time is short and long distances need to be travelled, the short story has taken me to places I willingly want to go to. So whether you have five minutes to spare, or you want to escape for a while…join me and my love of the unpredictable. Welcome to Toyah’s Wonderful World of Weird….”

• Listen at Toyah’s official You Tube and Facebook from tomorrow – Friday 9th May – at 8am UK time. Browse our other Toyah’s Wonderful World Of Weird posts, here. (Image © Toyah)

Toyah’s blog for May 2025 is available to read at toyahwillcox.com. Sending our very best wishes to Robert x

Another week, another Dreamscape “date”! This time, Brian and I spent the day in, our amazing capital, Edinburgh. Starting with a great breakfast at The Standing Order, then a walk up the Royal Mile to Edinburgh Castle, before spending a couple of hours at, the incredible, Camera Obscura. That was so much fun. For lunch/afternoon tea we had reserved a table at The Dome, an absolutely stunning building/venue on George Street. We rounded off the afternoon with some sight-seeing. Edinburgh has to be one of the finest cities on the planet. Yet another brilliant day!

• Great to hear that some of you are enjoying my “Dreamscape On Tour!” updates, and feel you are finally getting to know me (sort of!). It’s slightly self indulgent, but I’ve run this website for almost 26 years with very little personal content, until relatively recently, and I’m also enjoying sharing my adventures, which always have a Toyah vibe to them!

Classic Rock/Prog Magazine has, this week, re-published their great 2020 interview with Toyah. She talks Robert Fripp, Toyah & The Humans, Bill Rieflin, her music influences, career and more.

“I’ve heard Robert Fripp say no to everybody. David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, you name it, he always has an excuse not to play… He’s a wonderful husband but professionally it’s done me no favours”: Toyah Willcox is more than just Mrs King Crimson

From post-punk icon and award-winning female solo artist to becoming regarded as just the prog mastermind’s wife, her rebellious creative energy is fired by Roxy Music, Devo, The Tubes and all things off the wall

Toyah Willcox began her career as an actor in Quadrophenia and Quatermass, and as a post-punk in the 80s declared she wanted to be free. In the 21st century she teamed up with the late Bill Rieflin, Markus Reuter and her husband Robert Fripp, and was even In The Court Of The Crimson Queen. In 2020 – just as Toyyah And Robert’s Sunday Lunch presented the pair in a new, light-hearted light – we asked the question: how prog is she?

Most people think they know Toyah Willcox. She’s rooted in popular perception as the rebel queen of 80s new wave, responsible for mega-hits like It’s A Mystery, I Want To Be Free and Thunder In The Mountains. But there’s a whole other, less-celebrated side to her – the edgy adventurer, surveying the worlds of improv, art rock and experimental music.

“I’ve always needed to walk away from the predictable,” she tells Prog. “I love doing the 80s festivals and the touring shows, and my audience turns up in their thousands, which I’m so grateful for. But there’s also a part of me that is very off-the-wall. And I need to feed that.”

• Continue reading at Classic Rock/Prog Magazine.

Toyah was announced earlier this week as the support act for Big Country’s short December tour. Tickets go on sale tomorrow. See all of Toyah’s upcoming live gigs and festival appearances at toyahwillcox.com.

• Toyah At Home: May 2025 – Watch… • Toyah & Robert: UpBeat Moments: The Bunnies: Watch… • Toyah & Robert’s Sunday Lunch – Throwback! to a Gerry & The Pacemakers song – Watch… (Image © Toyah Willcox)

Dreamscape has 25+ years of news archives, covering almost everything that’s happened in Toyah’s career from early 2000, but this isn’t only a news site – There are also tons of retro, and not so retro, Toyah career features – celebrating albums, eras, releases, significant Toyah “moments” and much more – to browse and read!

The Hit List: BBC One: Saturday 10th May: 6.25pm
Celebrity Special. Series 7, episode 8. Marvin and Rochelle Humes present a celebrity edition of the music-based quiz show.

It’s time for the stars to shine in another celebrity special. The famous faces joining Rochelle and Marvin in this episode of the addictive music quiz are comedians Ivo Graham and Emmanuel Sonubi, musician Toyah Willcox and ex-footballer Pat Nevin, and EastEnders stars Natalie Cassidy and Jamie Borthwick. Who will guess the song titles first and get the chance to win £10,000 for their chosen charity?

Fab time yesterday in my home city of Glasgow, and a day out with my long time pal, Alec. We went to an episode recording of Mrs Brown’s Boys – this was a lot of fun, my face was sore from laughing! – at BBC Scotland on Pacific Quay, and then into the city for a fab meal at China Sea on Renfield Street. A brilliant day!

• See all our 2025 “tour dates” :) here! (Photo © David Fleming)

Toyah Willcox announces Coventry show

UK music icon Toyah Willcox has announced two special shows in London and Coventry this October.
Celebrating The Best of Toyah will see Toyah perform hits from across her career, treating audiences to her signature powerhouse vocals, infectious energy and commanding presence.

These shows will support an exciting celebratory release coming in late summer 2025, with details to follow soon.

On the upcoming shows, Toyah says: “I’m so excited to be heading out on the road this October for two celebratory shows, Celebrating the Very Best of Toyah. I can’t wait to be back on stage, performing the hits from over 40 years of music. Expect to hear It’s a Mystery, I Want to Be Free, Echo Beach, Good Morning Universe – and many, many more! See you there!”

A pioneering figure in the UK’s new wave and post-punk movement, Toyah has made an indelible mark on the entertainment industry with her unique voice, electrifying stage presence, and artistic versatility.

Toyah’s groundbreaking career includes eight Top 40 singles, including It’s a Mystery, Thunder in the Mountains and I Want to Be Free, and 28 albums, such as the Gold-selling Anthem and 2021’s Top 30 album Posh Pop.

• Continue reading at What’s On Warwickshire. Tickets are on sale here.

Get 15% off Toyah’s back catalogue titles this month using code TOYAH15 at checkout at Cherry Red!

The discount ends at midnight (GMT) 31 May 2025

• Saturday Song: Get In Your Car (Toyah & The Humans – Live At Trading Boundaries) – Watch… • Toyah & Robert: UpBeat Moments – Watch… • Toyah & Robert’s Sunday Lunch – Do Ya Think I’m Sexy! – Watch…

Press for Toyah & Robert’s new Sunday Lunch. This week covering Rod Stewart. (Image © Toyah Willcox)

• Classic Rock/Louder: “Come up to the bedroom now, honey!” Things get steamy in the Fripp-Willcox kitchen as Robert and Toyah tackle Rod Stewart’s Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?: The Fripp-Willcox cover of Rod Stewart’s classic features a rare lead vocal from Robert Fripp – Continue…

• Brooklyn Vegan: Watch Toyah & Robert Fripp cover Rod Stewart’s “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?” – Continue…

• Brave Words: Robert Fripp & Toyah Perform Rod Stewart Classic “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?” – Continue…

• DGM Live: Toyah & Robert’s Weekend – Continue…

Way Back When! 1981: NOW 80s: Saturday 3rd May: 1am
60 minutes of lesser heard hits from 1981. Including The Pretenders, Spandau Ballet, George Harrison, Toyah & The Pointer Sisters.

UK music icon Toyah Willcox has announced two special shows in London and Coventry this October.

Celebrating The Best of Toyah will see Toyah perform hits from across her career, treating audiences to her signature powerhouse vocals, infectious energy and commanding presence.

28 October: London Union Chapel
30 October: Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

These shows will support an exciting celebratory release coming in late summer 2025, with details to follow soon.

On the upcoming shows, Toyah says: “I’m so excited for these October for celebratory shows, Celebrating the Very Best of Toyah. I can’t wait to be back on stage, performing the hits from over 40 years of music. Expect to hear ‘It’s a Mystery’, ‘I Want to Be Free’, ‘Echo Beach’, ‘Good Morning Universe’ – and many, many more! See you there!”

• Continue reading, for further details, at The Official Toyah Willcox website. Tickets are on sale now.

It’s the third date of Dreamscape On Tour 2025, and this week it was a trip to Dundee. Absolutely fabulous city, with so much to see, do, explore… Sharon and I packed a week’s worth of activities, fun and laughter into around eight hours. A brilliant day.

• See all our 2025 “tour dates” :) here!  (Photo © David Fleming)

Toyah announces two special October shows

Toyah Willcox has announced two special October shows in London and Coventry

Celebrating ‘The Best of Toyah’ will see the singer perform hits from across her career, treating audiences to her signature powerhouse vocals, infectious energy and commanding presence.

The shows at London Union Chapel (28 October) and Coventry Warwick Arts Centre (30 October), will support an exciting celebratory release coming in late summer 2025, with details to follow soon.

On the upcoming shows, Toyah says: “I’m so excited to be heading out on the road this October for two celebratory shows. I can’t wait to be back on stage, performing the hits from over 40 years of music. Expect to hear It’s A Mystery, I Want To Be Free, Echo Beach, Good Morning Universe – and many, many more! See you there!”

• Continue reading at Classic Pop. Tickets are on sale here.

Quadrophenia: Sky Cinema Drama: Sunday 4th May: 1.45am
Quadrophenia: Sky Cinema Drama: Monday 5th May: 00.45am
The Who wrote and produced this energetic story of a young man disillusioned with his life in 1960s London. Phil Daniels excels as the alienated anti-hero Jimmy Cooper. Director: Franc Roddam. Starring: Phil Daniels, Leslie Ash, Toyah Willcox, Philip Davis, Mark Wingett, Sting, and Ray Winstone.

The Lee Mack Show: BBC Radio 4 Extra: Tuesday 1st May: 11pm
Toyah Willcox. Series 1, episode 6. Comedy sketches and music, with regulars Angela McHale and Steve Brown and guest Toyah Willcox. First aired in 2005. (This show includes Toyah performing a stonkingly good version of Sweet Child O’ Mine).

• Saturday Song: Brave New World (Acoustic) – Watch… • Toyah & Robert: UpBeat Moments – Watch… • Toyah & Robert’s Sunday Lunch – Summer Of 69 – Watch… (Image © Toyah Willcox)

Celebrity Help! My House Is Haunted: Really: Wednesday 7th May: 1am
Toyah Willcox. Series 1, episode 5. The team undergoes one of the most terrifying investigations yet when visiting Toyah Willcox, who has experienced strange activity in her home ever since she moved in. (Photo © Discovery)

Toyah’s Wonderful World Of Weird: The Puca
An original short story
Written & read by Toyah Willcox
Short Story Premieres Good Friday, 18 April 2025

“I have always loved short stories, they can inhabit any world from suburbia to the fantastic. When time is short and long distances need to be travelled, the short story has taken me to places i willingly want to go to. So whether you have five minutes to spare, or you want to escape for a while…join me and my love of the unpredictable. Welcome to Toyah’s Wonderful World of Weird…”

• Listen at Toyah’s official You Tube from Good Friday – tomorrow, 18th April. (Image © Toyah Willcox) See links to Toyah’s previous short stories.