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Toyah Willcox in Jubilee and the return of Julie Hesmondhalgh among highlights of Royal Exchange Theatre’s new season of shows

Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre reveals an exciting mix of plays for its Autumn/Winter season

80s pop icon Toyah Willcox will play Queen Elizabeth I as she makes her Royal Exchange Theatre debut in Jubilee, part of the striking new programme of shows for the Autumn/Winter season announced by the Manchester venue.

Toyah will star in the theatre adaptation of Derek Jarman’s punk cult classic movie Jubilee, a film she originally starred in as the character Mad in 1978.

She will now take on the role of Queen Elizabeth I, who is transported into a shattered modern Britain in the story adapted by Chris Goode who makes his exchange debut as new associate artist.

• Continue reading at the Manchester Evening News.

Chris Goode is to adapt Derek Jarman’s cult film Jubilee for the stage at the Royal Exchange in Manchester.

The production will take place as the film marks its 40th anniversary, and will star original film cast member Toyah Willcox. Goode, who joins the Royal Exchange as an associate artist, will adapt and direct Jubilee. It premieres from November 2 to 18, with press night on November 7.

Goode described the project as “brilliantly daunting and irresistible”, adding: “Derek Jarman has been a hero to me for 25 years and the opportunity to stage a brand new adaptation of one of his most iconic films with one of the country’s most iconic theatres is mind-blowing and heart racing in equal measure.”

“Under Sarah Frankcom’s visionary leadership the Royal Exchange continues to consolidate its position as a boldly risk-taking and boundary-exploding venue where we get to come together and talk about the biggest questions of our age in the most exciting ways we can imagine. At a time when dialogue and dissidence feel more precious than ever, I want Jubilee to be a celebration of the energy of our anger and our hope.”

• Continue reading at The Stage.

Manchester Royal Exchange announces autumn 2017 season  

The season includes an adaptation of the film Jubilee and two plays by Bruntwood Prize winners

From 2 to 18 November, the theatre will stage the world premiere of Jubilee, Chris Goode’s stage adaptation of Derek Jarman’s 1978 film. Original cast member from the film Toyah Willcox will front the production, which is updated for the political and social scene of 2017.

• Continue reading at What’s On Stage.

“I cannot wait to start JUBILEE at the TRE Manchester…it will be wild, groundbreaking and compelling xxx” – Toyah Willcox

Toyah Willcox ‘up close and personal’ for Gib Music Week

Toyah Willcox will be the first artist to perform as part of the extended MTV Gib Calling festival. The legendary Wilcox, whose career has spanned several decades will kick off Gibraltar Music Week in an ‘up close and personal show’ in St Michael’s Cave on Tuesday 29 August. She will be supported by very popular local band and winners of this year’s Gibraltar Song Festival, Jetstream.

Willcox has13 Top-10 singles under her belt and the organisers believe she is the perfect candidate to start the busy week in music in Gibraltar. Aside from her success in music, is also quite an accomplished actress and has worked with Derek Jarman twice in the movies ‘Jubilee’ and ‘The Tempest’. More recently Toyah starred in the hit British film ‘Ahhhhhhhh!’ directed by Steve Oram and co-starring Julian Rhind-Tutt, Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt.

• Continue reading at the Gibraltar Chronicle.

Tales Of The Unexpected: Sky Arts: Saturday 17th June: 5.30pm
Tales Of The Unexpected: Sky Arts: Sunday 18th June: 8.30am
Blue Marigold. Series 5, Episode 1. Dropped by her agency for her diva-like behaviour, supermodel Marigold’s mental health deteriorates. Years later, she plots a comeback. Director: Giles Foster. Starring: Toyah Willcox, Ralph Bates, Sharon Duce, Helen Fraser, Billy Hamon, Edward Jewesbury.

Trailblazers: Sky Arts: Tuesday 20th June: 4pm
New Romantics. Toyah Willcox and Billy Bragg are among those examining the New Romantic movement, from The Human League and Adam Ant, to David Bowie and Ultravox. (Series 1, Episode 16)

Celebrity Fantasy Homes: Home: Wednesday 14th June: 10pm
Celebrities hunt for a new home. Gaby Roslin helps punk-pop princess Toyah Willcox search for a second home, in Richmond upon Thames, with a budget of £650,000.

In exactly one month’s time Toyah co-headlines, along with Creedence Clearwater Revived, MantonFest 2017. The one day event is taking place at Manton Grange Watermeadow in Manton

This year’s charity fundraising music festival is on Saturday 1st July at Manton Grange Watermeadow, Marlborough, Wiltshire.

All proceeds from this year’s event will be directed into much needed structural improvements needed at Manton Village Hall.  The hall plays a pivotal role in the local community and hosts activities for young and old alike.  Thank you for your support!

In this lively and energetic festival set with Toyah’s full live electric band you can expect to hear hit singles Good Morning Universe, Thunder In The Mountains, It’s A Mystery, I Want To Be Free, Brave New World and Rebel Run.

• Further info and ticket booking details at the MantonFest 2017 website.

Record crowds at Exmouth Festival, but donations desperately needed

This year’s Exmouth Festival – which runs until this Saturday (June 3) – appears to be breaking all attendance records.

However despite record crowds, donations are still desperately needed to ensure that the town’s free festival continues next year. Warm weather on Friday (May 26) and Saturday (May 27) brought large crowds out on to the Imperial Rec’ Ground to see musical acts including Noble Jacks, The Locked Horns, Mr Tea and the Minions and Talisman.

But that was nothing compared to the huge crowd that turned up Sunday night’s evening concert (May 28), which featured local reggae band The Barefoot Bandit, covers band Joey the Lips and headliner 1980s punk princess Toyah Willcox.

• Continue reading at the Exmouth Journal.

Here’s who will appearing at the Upton House Music Festival

There’s less than two weeks to go until Upton House and Country Park in Poole becomes a showcase for some of the biggest names in the music business. The three-night festival kicks off with a Classical Spectacular on Thursday, June 8, followed by an ’80s Extravaganza on Friday, closing with internationally renowned singer-songwriter, Michael Bolton on Saturday, June 9.

Billy Ocean, the king of R&B is headlining the 80s Extravaganza on Friday, 9 June with Kim Wilde and Toyah co-starring.

The pop star and actress has close links with Dorset through her 30-year marriage to Wimborne born and bred King Crimson musician, Robert Fripp, and her time spent living in Witchampton.

She said: “Dorset is very close to my heart and I love returning there whenever I can. It will be great fun playing Upton House Music Festival as well as meeting up with a few old friends.”

Toyah, whose 13 top 40 hits included It’s A Mystery, I Want To Be Free, and Thunder In The Mountains also includes a starring role in the mod movie Quadrophenia and work with Sir Laurence Olivier on her 35-year CV.

She added: “I love the variety in my career – it keeps it all fresh and I’ll certainly be looking to put on a colourful, energetic and exciting show for the 80s fans at Upton House.”

• Continue reading at the Bournemouth Daily Echo. Visit the Upton Festival website.

Now celebrating its 21st year, the festival has emerged as one of the South West’s most important – and impressive – free community events.

A freewheeling fiesta of fabulous fun for all the family, it offers homegrown talent a brilliant opportunity to shine brightly in the spotlight. These included the Imperial Recreation Ground, the Bicton Inn and Exmouth Ceramic Group’s exhibition at Meeting Street.

On Sunday evening, the big headliners came into town. A huge crowd – perhaps as large as 6,000 people – filled the Imperial Rec’ Ground and enjoyed sets by Joey the Lips and 1980s punk princess Toyah Willcox. Joey the Lips put on a solid show of singalong dancefloor fillers. More poppy than their soul roots of some years back, the switch to more accessible material – with songs by Queen and Lulu – has done them no harm. The crowd – particularly the youngsters up the front – loved it.

Toyah Willcox bounded on stage an hour later. Her band sounded very tight as she blasted through a solid set of her hits – such as Thunder In the Mountains and Obselete – and 1980s covers, such as Martha and the Muffins’ Echo Beach.

Toyah was clearly delighted by the warm reception she got from the huge crowd, declaring that ‘Exmouth was cool’.

• Continue reading at the Exmouth Journal. (Photo © Exmouth Journal/Paul Strange)

Cannes 2017: How to Talk to Girls at Parties, review: Nicole Kidman channels Toyah Willcox in this lifeless sci-fi flick

Derived from a Neil Gaiman short story, this must have felt like an opportunity for provoc-auteur and queer cinema hero John Cameron Mitchell to let his hair down, by resurrecting the anarchic spirit of Derek Jarman’s Jubilee and then staging a Shortbus-lite sex romp with added polymorphous perversity. If this film’s an acquired taste, so is kidney sorbet, or a sponge cake seething with live eels. You get to see Nicole Kidman, in a white electroshock wig, grapple with the part of an angry punk matriarch and yell “shut your gaping gob” at one of her minions. A substitute for Toyah Willcox she’ll never be for the life of her, but the silliness of the casting sums the film up, for good and bad.

• Continue reading at The Telegraph.

Kavanagh Q.C.: ITV Encore: Saturday 3rd June: 8.40am
Kavanagh Q.C.: ITV Encore: Sunday 4th June: 3.50am
A Family Affair (1995). Kavanagh finds himself caught up in a bitter family feud when he represents a frustrated father who has kidnapped his son in a desperate attempt to win custody. On the home front, Kavanagh’s daughter wants to let her boyfriend stay overnight. Directed by Renny Rye. With John Thaw, Holly Aird, Robert Ashby, Toyah Willcox and Lisa Harrow.

Maigret: ITV Encore: Wednesday 31st May: 11.40am
Maigret and the Hotel Majestic. Crime series featuring Georges Simenon’s celebrated Parisian detective. Maigret is called to the scene when a beautiful woman is found dead in the basement of the Hotel Majestic with a gun in her handbag. The Chief Inspector’s investigations initially centre around the staff at the hotel – until he discovers that the woman’s husband booked a trip to Rome that he never made. Starring: Michael Gambon, Geoffrey Hutchings, Michael Shannon, Toyah Willcox (1993). Also airing on ITV Encore HD and Plus 1.

Toyah played a Classics, Hits & Surprises concert at the McMillan Theatre, Bridgwater in Somerset on Saturday night. Thanks to Angus for the photo. (Photo © Angus Turner)

Trailblazers: Sky Arts: Monday 5th June: 4pm
Punk. Narrated by Noddy Holder, this eye-opening series turns its attention to the origins of punk music. With Toyah Willcox and DJ Annie Nightingale. (Episode, Series 1, Episode 5)

Wishing Toyah a faberoonie birthday. (Thanks to Mark Satchwill)

Read Toyah’s Blog for May 2017 at toyahwillcox.com.

Minder: ITV4: Monday 15th May: 1pm
Minder: ITV4: Monday 15th May: 3.55pm
All Mod Cons. Drama series about the shady dealings of a spiv and his reluctant sidekick. While Terry is trying to evict two squatters, Arthur decides to sell Terry’s flat without his permission. Meanwhile, Terry gets a job minding at a local club and ends up getting into more trouble than he had planned for when he realises the club’s manager is on the fiddle. Starring: George Cole, Dennis Waterman, Toyah Willcox, Simon Cadell, James Ottaway, and Tony Osaba. (Series 2, Episode 8, 1980). Also showing on ITV4 HD.

Trailblazers: Sky Arts: Monday 22nd May: 3am
New Romantics. Toyah Willcox and Billy Bragg are among those examining the New Romantic movement, from The Human League and Adam Ant, to David Bowie and Ultravox. (Series 1, Episode 16)