Dreamscape | The Toyah Willcox Fansite

The 28th Bewdley Festival – 9th to 18th October 2015 (Toyah plays on the 16th)

Sugar and Spice, written by Nigel Williams and directed by Bill Alexander, opened at the Royal Court Theatre, in Sloan Square, London, 35 years ago today. Starring Toyah Willcox, Caroline Quentin and Gwyneth Strong. Toyah played Sharon, her third stage role – following Tales From The Vienna Woods (Emma, 1977) and American Days (Tallulah, 1979).

• Read an NME interview with Toyah, discussing Sugar and Spice (while she was still appearing in it in 1980), and see the production’s poster at Royal Court Posters. (Thanks to The Official Toyah Instagram)

More great news! Prostitute is currently in the Top 100 Alternative Chart at iTunes.

Desire has already charted earlier this week in the iTunes Rock Top 100, as well as at Amazon.

• Click for Desire, Prostitute and Ophelia’s Shadow at Amazon.

It’s that time of year again when lovers of music, comedy, drama and the arts descend on Wyre Forest for the annual Bewdley Festival.

This year marks the 28th anniversary of Bewdley Festival which will bring its traditional mix of local talent, regional celebrities and national and international stars of stage, screen and concert halls, all packed into an eventful ten days and all delivered entirely by volunteers.

The festival kicks off on Friday (October 9) with British music legend, Leo Sayer’s sold out performance as part of a series of rare and much-anticipated shows. Visiting from Australia, Grammy award-winning Leo comes to Bewdley with his Restless Years Tour.

Other performances sold out this year include a performance by Toyah Willcox, a return visit from Lesley Smith as Nell Gwynne, the final of three performances of the Ballad of St Kenelm, AD 821 by renowned composer Andrew Downes, comedy with Dr Phil Hammond and an annual lecture from Max Keen.

• Continue reading at the Evesham Journal. Toyah’s Acoustic… concert, on Friday 16th October, has Sold Out (see photo above and at the festival website). Check if there is another date near you at the Official Gigs page at toyahwillcox.com.

Lets Rock the 80’s reveal line up for Cookham, Exeter, Leeds & Southampton

Let’s Rock The 80’s have revealed the line up for four of their seven events for 2016, The Human League will headline both Exeter and Cookham, with Billy Ocean headlining Leeds and Holly Johnson at Southampton. Full line up:

Let’s Rock The Moor (Cookham): The Human League, Jason Donovan, Belinda Carlisle, Jimmy Somerville, Sinitta, Hue & Cry, Aswad, Black Box, Chesney Hawkes, Katrina, Cutting Crew, and Johnny Hates Jazz

Let’s Rock Exeter: The Human League, Rick Astley, Kim Wilde, Tiffany, Roland Gift, Heaven 17, Alexander O’Neal, T’Pau, The Beat, Cheryl, Mike & Jay Formerly Of Bucks Fizz, Odyssey, and Dr & The Medics

Let’s Rock Leeds: Billy Ocean, Jason Donovan, Soul Ii Soul, Jimmy Somerville, Toyah, Chesney Hawkes, Modern Romance, China Crisis, Cutting Crew, Johnny Hates Jazz, Katrina, and Owen Paul

Let’s Rock Southampton: Holly Johnson, Rick Astley, Jason Donovan, Tiffany, Soul Ii Soul, Roland Gift, Big Country, The Selecter, Cheryl, Mike & Jay Formerly Of Bucks Fizz, Toyah, Dr & The Medics, and Sonia

Details for the Birmingham, Bristol and London line up will be released on 1st November.

• Continue reading at Festivals For All.

Toyah’s October blog is now available at The Official Toyah Willcox website. Toyah talks the Desire/Prostitute/Ophelia’s Shadow digital releases, ice cream & chocolate in Stonehaven, King Crimson on tour, new song for the film Extremis “Our Hearts Still Beat”, Aaaaaaaah!, Live With… Toyah, and remembering her Mother.

TOYAH PERFORMS EXCLUSIVELY ON LIVE WITH…

With her brightly coloured hair, and her fierce singing style, it’s no wonder Toyah was dubbed the ‘high priestess of punk’.

Thirty years on, this prolific artist, who enjoyed hits with ‘It’s A Mystery’ and ‘I Want To Be Free’, is relishing performing still.

See Toyah draw on her back catalogue on Wednesday, 7th October at 10.30pm!

• Continue reading at Vintage TV. Watch the trailer for Live With… Toyah here. Browse all of our related news. As well as airing tonight, Live With… Toyah is also repeated on Vintage TV on Monday 12th October at 10.30pm.

Aaaaaaaah! has its Scottish premiere at the Cameo, Edinburgh this Friday… There’s a screening at the QFT, Belfast on Saturday 17th October… It’s also showing as part of the Mayhem Film Festival in Nottingham on Sunday 18th October (All of these include a Q&A with director Steve Oram)… There’s another screening this Friday at the Picturehouse, London… Aaaaaaaah! is released as a digital download by Frightfest Presents on Monday 19th October… Catch up on all our Aaaaaaaah! news by clicking – on the new promo image for the film – below.

80s star Toyah Willcox to perform at Bridgwater’s The McMillan Theatre

Pop and 80s icon, Toyah Willcox is set to perform a lively unplugged storytellers style gig at Bridgwater College’s The McMillan Theatre. The event is taking place on Sunday October 25 at 7.30pm.

It is a chance to experience Toyah up close and personal and will include the star performing an acoustic set of her loved hit singles and classic songs, as well as telling stories from her thirty-five year career.

Anthony Bruton, Theatre Manager, said: “We are looking forward to hosting Toyah and know it will be a great evening for both fans and those who love acoustic music.”

Tickets cost £18 are available from www.mcmillantheatre.com or the Box Office in person or by phone, 01278 556677.

• Continue reading at This is The West Country.

Bad hair, neon clothes and most importantly classic tracks that went down in music history – it’s Southampton’s own celebration of the 80s.

Now organisers of Let’s Rock Southampton have announced the line-up for their third date on the Common next summer, the Daily Echo can today reveal.

Revellers will be dancing to the sounds of former Frankie Goes To Hollywood lead vocalist Holly Johnson, heartthrobs from the era Rick Astley and Jason Donovan, Grammy Award winners Soul II Soul, Fine Young Cannibals frontman Roland Gift and former teen icon Tiffany.

Also on the bill are Scottish rockers Big Country, 2 Tone ska revival band The Selecter, Eurovision favourites Sonia and Cheryl, Mike and Jay from Bucks Fizz, plus chart-topping Toyah and rockers Dr & The Medics.

• Continue reading at the Southern Daily Echo.

Toyah Willcox on why she wasn’t terrified of the sex scenes in new film Aaaaaaaah!

Former teenage rebel stars in new film where the actors resort to grunting rather than words

Hell hath no fury like a woman with a frying pan in her hand when men are being stupid. But if you asked Toyah Willcox’s latest film character Barbara what she’s doing with it, you might not be able to understand her answer.

In the directorial debut of Sightseers’ actor and comedy star Steve Oram, the cast began with a script in English and then threw it away after breaking the words down into grunts. The result is Aaaaaaaah! – the year’s most original comedy horror, about a dysfunctional community who seem to be taking the human race backwards in south London. Although the actors look like humans and the film is a study of the human condition, the characters on screen behave and grunt like apes.

With Toyah playing a community leader called Barbara, the story is about men’s relationships with each other and the opposite sex while trying to reach for alpha-male status. While it’s a rare 18-certificate movie with no bad language, the 79-minute film is peppered with explicit and sometimes violent sexual scenes which include dismemberment.

• Continue reading at the Birmingham Mail.

Desire | Prostitute | Ophelia’s Shadow | Digital releases available now.

Great news! Desire was placing at number 59 on the iTunes Rock Chart today. The album was released digitally on Friday, along with Prostitute and Ophelia’s Shadow.

These three albums are currently Toyah’s biggest sellers at iTunes. See the news posts below for further info on the releases, plus links to iTunes and more details at toyahwillcox.com.

**Update** Desire has also charted at Amazon.

Now available digitally, with great new booklets accompanying them (with album downloads via iTunes and Amazon), Desire, Prostitute and Ophelia’s Shadow.

The trailer for Live With… Toyah. Airing very soon on Vintage TV.

The complete four-part radio version of J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, with Toyah in the title role, airs again on BBC Radio 4 Extra later this month, over four consecutive days – with four airings for each episode. This was originally broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 1995.

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of J. M. Barrie’s tale of childhood adventure starring Toyah Willcox as Peter Pan and Ron Moody as Captain Hook. These audio editions, especially dramatised for BBC Radio, are of timeless stories that have enchanted generations of readers both young and old.

Also starring Roy Hudd as Smee and June Whitfield as Mrs Darling, this sparkling production is directed by award-winning producer Dirk Maggs, with an original music score and stunning sound effects.

JM Barrie – Peter Pan: BBC R4 Extra: Tue 13th Oct: 6am/1pm/8pm | Wed 14th Oct: 1am
Away to Neverland. A strange visitor transforms the Darling household one bedtime. Stars Toyah Willcox, Ron Moody and June Whitfield. Episode 1 of 4.

JM Barrie – Peter Pan: BBC R4 Extra: Wed 14th Oct: 6am/1pm/8pm | Thu 15th Oct: 1am
In The Mermaid’s Lagoon. The mischievous boy and the children arrive in Neverland. Stars Toyah Willcox, Ron Moody, Georgina Cates and Roy Hudd. Episode 2 of 4.

JM Barrie – Peter Pan: BBC R4 Extra: Thu 15th Oct: 6am/1pm/8pm | Fri 16th Oct: 1am
An Awfully Big Adventure. Captain Hook turns the tables, as the battle between the Lost Boys and the pirates begins. Stars Toyah Willcox and Ron Moody. episode 3 of 4.

JM Barrie – Peter Pan: BBC R4 Extra: Fri 16th Oct: 6am/1pm/8pm | Sat 17th Oct: 1am
Spring Cleaning Time Again. Wendy longs for home, but first she and the brothers must be rescued from Captain Hook. Stars Toyah Willcox and Ron Moody. episode 4 of 4.

Toyah, Steve Oram and the, hot off the presses, new Aaaaaaaah! t-shirt at The Electric Cinema, Birmingham last night, for the latest screening/Q&A for the film. (Photo © Toyah Willcox)

In just a few hours Toyah’s trio – but not a trilogy – of late 80s/early 90s albums: Desire, Prostitute and Ophelia’s Shadow are released digitally for the first time. It really is fantastic that these will now be available for future generations to discover and enjoy.

I’ve always thought that these were, and are, three great albums. All completely different, and all showcasing Toyah’s true talent as a musician, songwriter and vocalist. She truly always has been a fascinating artist.

Desire includes some of Toyah’s best lyrics and emotive vocals. Prostitute still fascinates and disturbs listeners as much now as it did in 1988. Ophelia’s Shadow is to Toyah what The Dreaming is to Kate Bush…

So to mark the release(s), here are links to a few bits and pieces from over the years related to the trio:

Visit Dreamscape’s feature on Desire from 2012 – Marking the 25th Anniversary of its release… There’s also a mini-feature on Prostitute.. Read an interview with Toyah from around the time of Ophelia’s Shadow release, plus some related clippings (scanned from Tellurian Newsletter)…

Ophelia’s Shadow: Happy 21st – A short tribute… Prostitute was our first, and only, album of the month in 2012… View the results of a “just for fun” Desire poll from 2013… and some Desire fan art by Dreamscape from a few years ago… There was also, of course, an imaginary advert…

View a selection of Desire-era photos… and Toyah appearing on Neno in 1987… An unimaginary Desire press advert… And finally – The Curious Tale of The Moonlight Chorus :)

Browse further info on all three albums at The Official Toyah Discography. Read details about the digital releases and listen to the “new” Toyah EP Desirable.

The songs set to be played on the forthcoming Live With… Toyah have been revealed as: Dawn Chorus (From The Changeling, 1982), It’s A Mystery (from Anthem, 1981), Sensational (from In The Court Of The Crimson Queen, 2008) and Little Tears Of Love (from Velvet Lined Shell, 2003). Look out for the trailer for Live With… Toyah, which airs on Wednesday 7th October at 10.30pm on Vintage TV, coming to toyahwillcox.com very soon.

Browse related photos and info on Desire, Prostitute and Ophelia’s Shadow at Toyah’s Official Instagram. All three albums are released digitally tomorrow. “This album was an exorcism for me, an exercise in self-worth” Toyah on Prostitute.

Blink: Channel 4: Thursday 15th October: 00.05am
Music on 4. This fun new music-based, pop culture quiz show tests both musical knowledge and the reaction speeds of celebrity contestants. In the third episode, 80s pop legends Cheryl Baker and Toyah Willcox go head to head in a series of high-speed audio and visual music challenges. Episode 3 of 6. (Also airing on Channel 4 HD and Plus 1)

About the Show: Music-based, pop culture quiz show testing both the knowledge and the reaction speeds of celebrity contestants in a series of high-speed audio and visual music challenges.