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… Toyahhere. 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.
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.
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.
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.
Now available digitally, with great new booklets accompanying them (with album downloads via iTunes and Amazon), Desire, Prostitute and Ophelia’s Shadow.
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.
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)…
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.
Long deleted and never available on any digital platforms, toyahwillcox.com is delighted to announce an October digital release of the catalogue albums Desire, Prostitute and Ophelia’s Shadow. Whilst the latter two have been deleted for over a decade, Desire has been unavailable since the early 1990s. The three catalogue titles are released digitally on Friday 2 October 2015.
1987’s Desire was produced by Mike Hedges and engineered by Haydn Bendall at Abbey Road Studios where Bendall (at the time) had recently engineered Kate Bush’s Hounds of Love… 1988’s acclaimed album Prostitute is an uncompromising work which was composed by Toyah and drummer Steve Sidelnyk who would later to play on Madonna’s Ray of Light album… 1991’s Ophelia’s Shadow is the album which Toyah feels most represents her personally. Recorded in 1990 it utilises the same band line-up of the Toyah/Fripp-helmed band Sunday All Over The World…
On iTunes, all three albums come with a meticulously presented digital booklet to expand the experience of listening to the album. Compiling sleevenotes, production credits and full lyrics they also bring together almost all associated imagery created for each album. Prostitute and Ophelia’s Shadow are foregrounded by an introductory note from Toyah; Desire contains a new reflection on the album by Chris Limb.
All three albums will be available digitally to buy or stream from Friday 2 October including iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, Apple Music. Some digital vendors may follow on from the 2 October date and may appear at different times. The digital booklets will only be available when purchasing the entire album from iTunes. They will however be made available from The Official Toyah Website for all fans to enjoy.
Look out for some other related surprises too, courtesy of toyahwillcox.com!
To mark the digital release of Desire, Prostitute and Ophelia’s Shadow a selection of “Bonus Features” – retro letters, interviews and performances, see the latest Breaking Through newsletter for full details – have been made available by Toyah’s official website. This includes a “new” EP, Desirable, compiling all other previously released Desire-era songs not included on the album.
Four songs from the Desire sessions, from Echo Beach and Moonlight Dancing b-sides, are on this free digital EP, with great new cover art, nicely referencing the original Desire album.
1. Echo Beach [Surf Mix] (Gane) | Originates from the 12″ single of Echo Beach
2. Plenty (Willcox) | Originates from the 7″/12″ single of Echo Beach
3. Sun Up (Willcox) | Originates from the 7″/12″ single of Moonlight Dancing
4. Re-Entry Into Dance (Willcox/Geballe) | Originates from the 7″/12″ single of Moonlight Dancing
Aaaaaaaah! is screened in, Toyah’s home town, Birmingham tonight, at The Electric Cinema. Toyah, along with Director Steve Oram, will be in attendance for a Q&A post-screening. Due to demand more tickets have been released for this event. Further details by clicking below.
Don’t forget a limited edition Aaaaaaaah! poster is also currently available from Rook Films.
Dirty Sexy Funny: Olivia Lee: Comedy Central Extra: Tuesday 13th October: 3.25am Dirty Sexy Funny: Olivia Lee: Comedy Central Extra: Friday 16th October: 3.35am
Olivia Lee stars in this hidden camera sketch show. Deaf Bubba makes a mess of things at the marina, Door Bitch takes a punt and Elaine Caine meets Toyah Willcox.
The latest edition of BBC Radio 4’s Great Lives is now available to listen to at BBC iPlayer or download as an mp3. It also airs again on BBC Radio 4 on Friday at 11pm.
The programme includes Toyah discussing Katharine Hepburn.
Dubbed an ‘oddity’ and ‘box office poison’, she liked to goad the press and public with her eccentric behaviour and unconventional love life. Her career in Hollywood spanned six decades, during which she starred alongside other Hollywood greats, including James Stewart, Cary Grant, Humphrey Bogart and Spencer Tracy.
The four time Oscar award winning actress Katharine Hepburn is this week’s Great Life. She is championed by singer and actress Toyah Willcox. The expert is Dr Mark Glancy – Reader in Film History, at Queen Mary, University of London. The presenter is Matthew Parris. The producer is Perminder Khatkar.
“Congratulations on your 150th anniversary. I have always loved working at the Theatre Royal. It is a beautiful venue overflowing with history. Here’s to the next 150 years!” Toyah Willcox, actress and singer
TOYAH PERFORMS EXCLUSIVELY ON LIVE WITH…
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.
