The ‘British Theatre Guide’ website include details on Sleeping Beauty in their latest “panto news” update. No new info but they do use a, previously unpublished, full-length photo of the main cast.
Evolution Productions have also announced full casting for their version of Sleeping Beauty at the Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury which will feature Toyah Willcox as Carabosse, Gareth Gates as the Prince, Ben Roddy as the Dame, Lloyd Hollett as the Storyteller, Katrina Bryan as the Fairy and Faye Brookes as Sleeping Beauty herself.
• Visit ‘The British Theatre Guide’ website here.
(The full photo is also being used in the, just published, Marlowe Theatre Summer brochure)
The print version of the ‘Exeter Post’ review of Wednesday night’s gig. Dawn Killick’s 9/10 appraisal is full of positivity for Toyah and the gig.
… she then sang Dawn Chorus, Angel and Jungles Of Jupiter: the latter showcasing the talents of the band and also the higher range of her voice, with Toyah sounding better than ever.
View a larger version of the scan. (Thanks to Chris Cox)
Wow! Another fantastic review for the tour. I must say it’s good to finally hear journalists say what we, Toyah’s fans, have been saying for 30-odd years!
Toyah Willcox played the tunnels in a special 30th anniversary tour to celebrate her 1982 albums, The Changeling and Warrior Rock.
Toyah burst on to the stage in her signature striking headdress and delivered a high energy performance for well over an hour and a half, with three whirlwind costume changes.
The opening number was Good Morning Universe, which highlighted her still very youthful voice, then moved to Creepy Room and Castaways. By this time the crowd was moving and swaying with exaggerated hand movements in time with Toyah’s. Then, for the first time since 1981 at the Hammersmith Odeon, she played Brave New World, which, she admitted, made the hairs stand up on the back of her neck.
• Continue reading at ‘This is Exeter’ here.
Gareth Gates and Toyah head to Canterbury for Marlowe Theatre’s Sleeping Beauty
Panto fans are in for a real treat again at the Marlowe Theatre – it’s been revealed Gareth Gates and Toyah Willcox will be heading to Canterbury for Sleeping Beauty.
Pop Idol runner up Gareth and Dancing on Ice star Gareth and former “punk princess” Toyah will be joined by Katrina Bryan, better known as Nina from the CBeebies series Nina and the Neurons, and Ben Roddy. Last year’s production of Cinderella was seen by a record-breaking number of people (more than 83,000).
• Continue reading at Canterbury People.
Another positive review for Saturday’s Brighton gig.
Resplendent in headwear which would make Vivienne Westwood shake her head and tut, Toyah Willcox gave her audience a lesson in stagecraft, turning a messy dress rehearsal into a command performance through sheer chutzpah and professionalism. Fully aware of the irony implicit in a woman of ‘(almost) fifty-four’ belting out the lyrics ‘I don’t wanna go to school’, she introduced one of her biggest hits with a giggle and the words ‘let’s get childish’.
• Continue reading at ‘The Latest’ here.
A five star review, and another gallery of excellent live Toyah photos, for ‘The Changeling Resurrection’ @ Brighton by ‘This Is Not Retro’.
Not only does Toyah look fantastic but she’s in fine voice too, confidently romping through a setlist of classic material with obvious glee and enjoyment.
• Continue reading at ‘This Is Not Retro’ here.
That photo seems to have a life of its own!
The latest sighting is at the, excellent, ’80s Actual’ website, in an article from Saturday. The article is a look back on a July 1982 press report on the rise of compact discs, but also included in the ‘The Sun/Bizarre’ scan is the Simon Fowler photo accompanying news about the book ‘Toyah’ by Mike West (again!)
Toyah Can’t Bare It: This is pop star Toyah as she hoped her fans would never see her. The bare-breasted portrait was taken by photographer Simon Fowler for Mike West’s new biography of the singer published by Omnibus at £2.95. (Typically ‘The Sun’ is incorrect. The photo was taken in 1979 as Toyah details in the Sounds interview from 1982)
They have played some of the biggest venues in the world, sold millions of albums and had countless chart hits. And in July, some of the best known stars of the 1980s will take the stage in Glasgow Green for their only Scottish date.
The line-up includes Rick Astley, whose Never Gonna Give You was the UK’s top selling single of 1987. He will be joined by former Go-Go’s lead singer Belinda Carlisle, “Wherever I Lay My Hat” singer Paul Young, Toyah Willcox, Curiosity Killed the Cat, T’Pau and The Real Thing, who scored a No.1 in 1976 with You To Me Are Everything.
The gig, on Saturday July 21, co-incides with the hugely popular Glasgow Show and will round off a top weekend of music.
• Continue reading, at the ‘Evening Times’, here.
Decades is a festival with something for everyone. After watching trade slowly go down publicans in Workington decided to create a festival for all with the expertise of Maryport Festivals and bring the town back to life. We will have music genres such as pop, blues, rock, indie, seventies sixties and eighties.
If you cant find something you like then your not looking. Take a trip down memory lane and remember the days of the old school yard, you know you want to. With some old favourites such as The Fortunes, The Fourmost, Billy Walker, The Quireboys and New Amen Corner on the pub trail it will be hard to beat. Then in Club Ice for Toyah Willcox, David Van Day and Ed Tuderpole in the main venue you will be spoiled for choice.
• Continue reading, at ‘Music Mafia UK’, here.
A report on the ‘Stortfest Crawl 2012’, including info from the festival director, Simon Baker.
Organisers of the Stortford Music Festival have announced a week-long series of events that will take place in and around the town starting next month. Commencing on April 29 and running until May 06, the event is being called the Stortfest Crawl.
Organisers are busy booking bands but can today confirm that the legendary punk-popstress Toyah Willcox will be playing the Rhodes Arts Complex on Saturday May 05 celebrating the 30th anniversary of her seminal “The Changeling” album with a greatest hits set. Festival director Simon Baker said: “This is one act we are particularly excited about. While taking a breather for a year, we felt it was important for people to know that the festival was still going strong and will be back next year. Being able to confirm Toyah as one of the fantastic acts who will be playing during the week proves that people can expect the same high calibre of performers that they have enjoyed in previous years.” (Thanks to Ian Grainge)
Brighton’s Concorde2 mailed out their April newsletter to subscribers today. It includes news on Toyah’s forthcoming gig at the venue, plus a chance to win tickets for it.
Saturday 14th April
Sanctuary Music presents TOYAH WILLCOX
THE CHANGELING RESURRECTION 2012 TOUR
Celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of ‘The Changeling’, Toyah & her full band, will perform a selection of songs from the album alongside classic material as heard on the ‘Warrior Rock’ live album.
* TOYAH WILLCOX COMPETITION *
This week we are giving you the chance to win a pair of tickets to see TOYAH @ CONCORDE2 on Saturday 14th April, all you need to do is answer this simple question…
“Tell us the name of Toyah’s 2012 tour…?” Send your answers to hello@concorde2.co.uk, winners will be contacted by email no later than Monday 9th April.
(Thanks to Stephen Bennett for the newsletter)
Toyah is included in today’s ‘My Virgin Money Magazine’ feature “How childhood shapes our attitudes to money”.
It’s generally recognised that the way we manage our money throughout adulthood is influenced by our experiences of it when we’re growing up.
Mark Anstead spoke to some well-known people to discover the extent of this lasting impact, whether good or bad – from learning how to save as well as spend to preferring to buy second-hand, from learning how to prioritise to not relying on credit.
Toyah Willcox, actress
Initially my childhood was very affluent. Then, when I was seven years old, my father was hit badly by a slump in the stock market and he lost everything. It affected me by contributing to my strong drive to be financially secure and independent, but I’m also incredibly cautious with money because I’ve seen how easily you can lose it. Back then stocks and shares were phenomenally successful, but he didn’t spread his investments and I have learned from that.
• Read the full article, at ‘My Virgin Money Magazine’, here.
• Maidenhead Advertiser: Let’s Rock The Moor: Family support charity to benefit: Families in need are set to benefit from a fundraising music festival in Cookham this summer. Proceeds from Let’s Rock the Moor, on Saturday, May 12, will raise money for the Link Foundation. This year’s line up includes Billy Ocean, Go West, Heaven 17, Toyah and Modern Romance, and will be hosted by Pat Sharp. Continue reading here.
• View photos of Toyah “at home” in 2010, by ‘Jamie Hughes Photography’, here and here.
• Many Happy Returns to Chris Wong. It’s his birthday today! (Thanks to Sugar Rush: The Humans.org.uk)
• Not exactly earth-shattering news, but it is related to ‘The Changeling’ in “Changeling Month” :) Yesterday Toyah was mentioned in a question at Just Quiz: 23. What links a Jacobean tragedy, an Oscar nominated film starring Angelina Jolie and a 1982 album by Toyah?
An interesting article on punk in ‘The Independent’ yesterday. It includes a gallery of great photos, featuring rare shots of Adam Ant, Jordan, Billy idol, Little Nell, Siouxsie etc, plus Derek Jarman at the premiere of Jubilee.
Anarchy in the UK: The Queen’s Silver Jubilee in 1977 was also the year that punk hit
Photographer Simon Barker was there to capture it. Michael Bracewell opens his archive.
Punk lasted in the UK for little more than 14 months, between 1976 and the Jubilee Summer of 1977. Thirty-five years later, in another Jubilee year, how might we regard the intense, chaotic, moody, surreal, futuristic-yet-Victorian aesthetics of the movement? In answer to this question, photographs taken at the time by Simon Barker, also known as Six, go a long way to articulating the ways in which a phase of youth culture attained the impact of a manifesto – while never quite losing the cool allure and faintly slapstick temperament of its confrontational amateurism.
• Continue reading, at ‘The Independent’, here.
We are thrilled to announce that the much-loved Summer Picnic Concerts at Audley End House and Gardens will go ahead as usual this summer. English Heritage has teamed up with independent concert producers, Portal Events Ltd to deliver a fantastic line-up of musical stars and the concerts will take place from Friday 3rd August to Sunday 5th August 2012.
On Saturday 4th August it’s time to relive your youth with The Greatest 80’s Party…Ever! Hit 80s artists Rick Astley, Jimmy Somerville, Midge Ure, Nik Kershaw, T’pau, Toyah, Wang Chung and Dr and the Medics will wow the crowd into a party frenzy with their famous hit songs including “Never gonna give you up”, “China in your hand” and “Spirit in the Sky”.
Toyah: From punk princess to high priestess of TV, Toyah Willcox is a uniquely gifted performer. Toyah is going to rock Audley End with some of her 80’s classics.
• View the ‘Audley End Concerts’ Toyah info at their ‘Line Up’ page here.
Audley End Picnic Concerts: Jools Holland, Rick Astley and the Royal Philharmonic are among the stars for this year’s open air concerts at Audley End. This summer’s concerts, supported by Heart, take place from Friday 3rd August to Sunday 5th August.
• To win a pair of tickets for ‘The Best 80’s Party… Ever!’ go here and answer the question. Competition closes on 29th April.
Salvaged from eBay for your viewing/reading pleasure. An article from 1983 by ‘Disco 45’. Hardly mind blowing journalism but I thought I’d add it as it’s admirably positive.
Contrary to what a lot of people expected, Toyah Willcox has returned strongly to the charts after an absence from recording of nearly a whole year.
Yes, it’s been that long since ‘Be Proud Be Loud (Be Heard)’ was released and became Toyah’s seventh hit single, while around the same time her most recent album, ‘Warrior Rock (Toyah On Tour)’, also came out, and not unexpectedly hit the Top 20 on the day of release. That was her fifth consecutive hit LP, and at the end of last year things were looking very good for the Birmingham girl with the big voice and the huge fan following. At the start of this year she was voted Top Female Singer in both a national newspaper and one of our own music rags, and we all expected a new record to be released to capitalize on that acclaim. But busy Toyah had other ideas, because as every Toyah fan knows, she is highly talented at more than just singing in front of a rock band.
Read more…
Following the ‘Cambridge News’ report this morning, various concert and festival websites have updated this afternoon with news articles on the English Heritage Picnic Concerts 2012, taking place at Audley End House, Saffron Walden, Essex in early August. All of the reports mention Toyah as playing.
Sat 04 August: The Best 80’s Party… Ever! with Rick Astley, Jimmy Somerville, Midge Ure, Nick Kershaw, T’Pau, Toyah, Whang Chung and Dr and the Medics.
• View reports by Backstage Pass, UK Festival Guides, Festivals For All, eFestivals, Saffron Walden Reporter and Herts & Essex Observer. (This latest live date for Toyah hasn’t been officially confirmed as yet!)
Audley End Concerts 2012
Friday 3rd August – Sunday 5th August
We are thrilled to announce that the much-loved Summer Picnic Concerts at Audley End House and Gardens will go ahead as usual this summer. English Heritage has teamed up with independent concert producers, Portal Events Ltd to deliver a fantastic line-up of musical stars and the concerts will take place from Friday 3rd August to Sunday 5th August 2012.
MORE INFORMATION WILL BE ANNOUNCED TOMORROW, FRIDAY 30TH MARCH.
A star-studded line-up including Jools Holland and Rick Astley will entertain crowds at the Audley End Picnic Concerts this summer after they were saved from the axe.
It had been feared the popular concerts would be cancelled after a promoter pulled out, but English Heritage has found another partner – Portal Events. Tickets go on sale tomorrow at 9am. This year the concerts will be on three consecutive nights, from Friday to Sunday, August 3-5, rather than consecutive weekends.
On the Saturday, the venue, near Saffron Walden, will rock to an 80s party with Rick Astley, Jimmy Somerville, Midge Ure, Nik Kershaw, T’Pau, Toyah, Wang Chung and Dr and the Medics.
Lytham Proms Festival Weekends three day event line-up is now complete, with Friday 3rd welcoming ‘Here and Now The Very Best of The 80’s’ and Saturday 4th ‘Alfie Boe- Last Night of the Proms’. The winner of local talent competition Fylde’s Got Talent will perform alongside Olly Murs on Sunday night.
Friday 3rd August 2012 – “Here and Now, The Very Best of the 80’s”
A fantastic selection of iconic 80’s popstars will headline the opening night of Lytham Proms Festival Weekend 2012.
“Here and Now, The Very Best of the 80’s” will feature stars: Bananarama, Rick Astley, The Real Thing, Belinda Carlisle, Toyah, Curiosity Killed the Cat and T’Pau in what is dubbed as being the Fylde Coast’s biggest party EVER!
