Dreamscape | The Toyah Willcox Fansite

If you are a huge fan of 1980’s music then I would highly recommend the Rewind Scotland Festival. I, along with thousands of other Eighties music fans, headed along to Scone Palace in Perth at the weekend with my camping chair under my arm and wellies on.

This was my first time at the annual event and I have to say I was not disappointed. The rain stayed off on the Saturday but unfortunately we were not so lucky with the weather on the Sunday. It poured from the beginning until the end with only a short dry spell in the early evening. Although it didn’t seem to dampen spirits with revellers enjoying all the acts.

Sets by China Crisis, Toyah, ABC, Big Country and the British Electric Foundation were all real crowd-pleasers…

• Read the full review, by Debbie Clarke, at Fife Today.

Crime and Punishment: A Rock Musical – Dostoyevsky and the music of Toyah Willcox and Simon Darlow at The Scoop

London’s Free Open-Air Theatre Season is back as part of the London Bridge City Summer Festival, offering 40,000 free tickets for great theatre within the heart of London. Running since 2003, this is still London’s only ‘free to all’ annual festival of theatre. There’s no need to book so just turn up and take a seat.

This year, Gods and Monsters Theatre are shaking things up with a new rock musical of Crime and Punishment, with songs by the legendary Toyah Willcox. This newly revamped production of this 19th century masterpiece marks the increasingly important role Russia plays in London’s economy and the way our work, social and cultural life is enriched by a strong Eastern European presence in our capital.

Toyah was the Punk Princess of the 1980s with a song-writing career that has spanned thirty years and includes eight Top 40 singles and over 20 albums keeping her at the cutting edge of counter-culture.

• Continue reading at Frost Magazine.

Wickham Festival – This relaxed, family-friendly, festival returns with a Live UK Music Business award under its belt for ‘Best Festival (Under 15,000) 2015’. The historic village of Wickham will welcome Spandau Ballet frontman, Tony Hadley, The Stranglers, Lindisfarne and SAS Band (aka Spike’s All Stars) which features Fish, Toyah and Roger Taylor of Queen.

• When? Thursday 4 August – Sunday 7 August

• How much? Adults, £160, Under 16s, £80 for the whole weekend. Or £60 for the day, £30 for under 16s. Evening only tickets are priced at £40 for adults and £20 for under 16s. Under 10s go free. www.wickhamfestival.co.uk

• Continue reading at Hampshire-Life. Visit the Wickham Festival 2016 website by clicking below. Toyah is guest vocalist at the festival with The SAS Band on Saturday 6th August.

Music lovers donned their leg-warmers and fancy dress outfits yesterday to roll back the years at the Rewind Festival.

The costumes were out in force at the ’80s-themed event – held at Scone Palace in Perthshire – from Dennis The Menace to The Flintsones. As stars like Marc Almond, Leo Sayer, Go West and Average White Band took to the stage, a sea of neon shook their deely boppers.

The festival continues today with Adam Ant, ABC, Big Country, Midge Ure, Toyah and more.

• Continue reading at The Sunday Post.

Check out toyahwillcox.com for further info on Crime and Punishment…

Music fans heading to Scone Palace for this year’s Rewind ’80s festival began arriving in the early hours the day before a note was played. “People were queuing at 4.30am, they are more enthusiastic than ever,” said Meg Jenkins of Rewind on Friday.

Although the festival proper doesn’t start until Saturday thousands of the 30,000 revellers decided to arrive the night before with traffic stretching back miles from the Scone site in all directions throughout the day. Rewind Scotland line up, running order will be announced on the day.

Saturday – Rick Astley, Holly Johnson, Tony Hadley, Marc Almond, Leo Sayer, Go West, Living in a Box, Average White Band, The Beat, The Bluebells, Hazell Dean, Snap.

Sunday – ABC, Adam Ant, Big Country, Midge Ure, Slim Jim Phantom from Stray Cats, Roland Gift, China Crisis, Toyah, Annabella of Bow Wow Wow, Thomas Dolby, The Lotus Eaters, Heaven 17’s Glen Gregory.

• Continue reading at The Dundee Courier.

Toyah plays Chelmsford City Racecourse this evening, with Rick Astley and Paul Young. Three iconic 80’s acts guaranteed to get you singing and dancing the night away. Click below for info.

Toyah Willcox adapts Dostoyevsky’s classic in a free outdoor musical

Er. Well look, if a musical version of Dostoyevsky’s 1866 masterpiece about a student who wrestles with his guilt after killing a moneylender – with songs by Toyah Willcox no less – were announced for the West End we’d probably break out into cold sweats pretty sharpish. But it’s a pretty impressive proposition as a bit of free outdoor theatre. It’s also a welcome change of pace for Gods and Monsters Theatre, whose annual shows at The Scoop had fallen into a bit of a predictable pattern of adaptations of Greek tragedies in the last few years. If you want to see the show, just turn up.

• Continue reading at Time Out.

Hot on the heels of the news that a new Willcox/Darlow song, Our Hearts Still Beat, has been recorded for inclusion in the forthcoming new film Extremis – to play over the film’s end titles – Toyah has tweeted that another new song – Fire Escape – again by Willcox/Darlow, has also been recorded for the, soon to open in London, rock musical Crime and Punishment.

Quadrophenia: Sky Select HD: Monday 1st August: 11.35am
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. (Sky Select HD is on Sky Channel 312)

Thousands of music fans of a certain age will descend on Scone Palace over the weekend for their annual opportunity to rekindle the excitement of their youth.

The Scottish stop for Rewind – the world’s biggest 80s music festival – boasts a who’s who of the decade’s top names from local heroes the Average White Band to Toyah.

Campers who intend to take in the full event begin arriving on Friday with the musical attractions spread out over Saturday and Sunday. The finishing touches are currently being made to the Scone site overlooking the river Tay.

• Continue reading at The Dundee Courier.

Evesham Arts Centre’s new programme is red hot and live

While the county sweltered this week in near record-breaking temperatures, the Evesham Arts Centre gave news of its autumn and winter programme, which a spokesman said would be red hot and “one hundred per cent live.”

The spokesman added: “As well as top professional acts such as Toyah Wilcox, Shappi Khorsdandi, Rich Hall, Jackson Live and the fabulous Vienna Festival Ballet, there’s plenty of local talent on display too with Phoenix Youth Theatre’s production of The Wizard of Oz and EODS’ production of Chess – The Musical.

• Continue reading at the Evesham Journal.

It’s time to dig out your 1980s fashions and party with an original artist from the decade that brought us leg warmers, shoulder pads, big hair and all things neon.

Every Saturday between July 23 and August 20, a 1980s star will perform their classics hits from this iconic decade at The Spa Bridlington, as well as an 1980s disco until late.

Stars to perform are The Blow Monkeys, Toyah Willcox, Johnny Hates Jazz, Sonia and Big Country.

• Continue reading at the Gazette & Herald.

Quadrophenia Fans Offered Screening Under The Stars

The Forestry Commission has teamed up with Pop-up Cinema Yorkshire to offer movie fans the chance to see a film adaptation of a rock opera under the stars.

The screening of Quadrophenia at Dalby Forest, on Saturday, August 20, at 7.30pm, follows an announcement that a sequel to the British mod movie is being made, 37 years after the original, and will feature many of the same cast members, including Toyah Willcox and Phil Daniels.

Organisers said the movie would be shown on a high-quality cinema system, and the event would feature mod, ska and soul DJs and themed food and drink stalls. Those attending are being invited to camp beside the cinema area for £5 per person.

• Continue reading at The Northern Echo.

Toyah plays Rewind Scotland this weekend in Perth. She tweeted photos of a fab ring she will wear and festival rehearsals… Click below to browse all of Dreamscape’s Rewind Scotland 2016 news, and wishing Toyah a fantastic time in glorious Perth (my Mum’s birthplace!).

Toyah Willcox is never less than effusive about her involvement in projects.

On this particular day, her voice is typically bouncy at the end of the telephone – a retro way to interview nowadays, but then again it’s time to talk about the landline-tastic 1980s.

The 58-year-old is almost evangelical about Rewind, the 80s Festival, that will bathe Scone Castle and its grounds in a sea of Day-Glo clothing and lace accessories from July 22 to 24. She is performing at Rewind Scotland and the event in Henley-on-Thames. It’s not a first appearance at either for her – last year her presentation skills were also called on to MC the Scone event.

“That was a great opportunity to see everyone that performed , and I was impressed,” she says. “I don’t know why I was so surprised. All the acts come from the era when you had to be able to perform live before a record company would even look at you.”

The concept of Rewind works – as many acts as possible across two days and sets that can only include chart hits. So even if you liked the second track on the B-side of ABC’s Beauty Stab, this isn’t the place to hear it. Every track is a hit, keeping the energy as charged as the end of the night at a secondary school disco.

“Rewind is about fun,” adds Toyah. “No-one is trying to sell anything here; it’s not about plugging records of breaking new acts. It’s like a big ensemble, all feeding into the same musical experience.”

• Continue reading at The Herald. Browse all of Dreamscape’s Rewind Scotland 2016 news here.

Win tickets to the Wickham Festival taking place from 4th – 7th August off Blind Lane.

The Breeze will be there to enjoy live music from The Stranglers, The SAS Band featuring Toyah and Roger Taylor from Queen, Lindisfarne and the Red Hot Chilli Pipers.

It’s a fun filled weekend for the whole family in the Hampshire countryside with activities including a solar powered cinema, storytelling and a laser arena.

• Continue reading/Enter competition at The Breeze.

London’s Free Open-Air Theatre Season is back as part of the London Bridge City Summer Festival, offering 40,000 free tickets for great theatre within the heart of London. Running since 2003, this is still London’s only ‘free to all’ annual festival of theatre. There’s no need to book so just turn up and take a seat!

• Continue reading at Concert News Online.

Toyah Willcox musical to play free open air festival

Based on Dostoevsky’s novel, Crime and Punishment receives its world premiere in August

A brand new musical retelling of Dostoevsky’s Crime & Punishment, will be staged at The Scoop in London this summer.

Adapted and directed by Phil Willmott, the musical will feature original music by Toyah Willcox and Simon Darlow, as well as some of Willcox’s well-known tracks.

Crime & Punishment: A Rock Musical will be part of the free open air theatre season, held annually at The Scoop, next to City Hall on the south side of the River Thames.

• Continue reading at What’s On Stage.

Toyah Willcox rock musical to run at open air theatre in London

A musical based on novel Crime and Punishment that features the music of Toyah Willcox will run at open air theatre the Scoop this summer. The show, from theatre company Gods and Monsters, runs at the Scoop near London Bridge from August 31 to September 25.

Crime and Punishment: A Rock Musical is adapted and directed by Phil Willmott and features songs written by Willcox and her writing partner, Simon Darlow.

Willcox said she was “excited that this collaboration will engage tens of thousands of people with this extraordinary novel in so fresh and enticing a way”.

• Continue reading at The Stage.

Gods and Monsters Theatre To Present Crime and Punishment: A Rock Musical

London’s Free Open-Air Theatre Season is back as part of the London Bridge City Summer Festival, offering 40,000 free tickets for great theatre within the heart of London. Running since 2003, this is still London’s only ‘free to all’ annual festival of theatre. There’s no need to book so just turn up and take a seat!

This year, Gods and Monsters Theatre are shaking things up with a new rock musical of Crime and Punishment, with songs by the legendary Toyah Willcox. This newly revamped production of this 19th century masterpiece marks the increasingly important role Russia plays in London’s economy and the way our work, social and cultural life is enriched by a strong Eastern European presence in our capital.

Toyah Willcox comments, Who could resist this chance to help introduce theatre-goers, great literature and steam punk all in the one show, performed for free to such a huge and multi- cultural audience, in this iconic, beautiful venue? The on-going work of Gods and Monsters to create vibrant, powerful productions that bring London’s diverse communities together under the stars is a perfect fit with my life-long philosophy of performance for all. Capturing the spirit of Dostoyevsky’s alienated characters has been a wonderful challenge and I’m excited that this collaboration will engage tens of thousands of people with this extraordinary novel in so fresh and enticing a way and is totally fitting with my musical work.

• Continue reading at Broadway World.