Well known for being a poster girl for punk in her heyday, it seems fitting that Toyah Willcox was chosen to be the leading lady in Steve Steinman's smash hit stage show, Vampires Rock.

Dubbed the new Rocky Horror Show, Vampires Rock is set in the year 2030, when Baron Von Rockula (Steve Steinman) is on the hunt for a new bride.

When Pandora Honey Roseybox arrives to audition for the resident vocalist position at the Live and Let Die Club, little does she know the only job up for grabs is to become the Baron's eternal bride.

At the heart of the show is the evil Baron's attempt to convince Pandora to lose her soul to rock and roll.

Cue songs from the likes of Meat Loaf, Queen, Suzi Quatro, AC/DC, Guns 'n' Roses, Bon Jovi and Alice Cooper.

And with a combination of music, humour and the dark side, it's little wonder the show, which premiered in 2004, quickly secured itself a cult following.

Now Toyah Willcox is joining the cast and the man behind the show, Steve Steinman, on stage, propelling it into new heights of fame.

"I was attracted to this show from the start on many levels," Toyah said. "I knew it was successful and knew it had a cult following.

"Steve Steinman is a complete success story and that was one of the reasons I wanted to get involved. 

"He's an amazing talented man, and to have put this show together, as well as star in it, is a real achievement.

"The other reason was the fact that this is a rock show. 

"I grew up in Birmingham when rock theatre was first created by Alice Cooper and David Bowie and I loved it. This is really a continuation of that."

Another element that has amazed Toyah is the number of people who come to the event dressed in gothic gear or as vampires, ghosts and ghouls.

"I think that's amazing and proves its success," she said. 

"It's like when people go to see The Rocky Horror show they get all dressed up and I think that's what Vampires Rock is becoming.

"More and more people are talking about it and people will come back and see it again and bring their friends, so it's really exciting to be involved."

Steve Steinman added: "The first five or six rows of people will come to the show dressed in full gear, and that seems to be growing as we take the shows out.

"It makes it more fun, not just for us on stage, but also for the audience. It makes for a great vibe."

As well as touring the UK, Vampires Rock is heading to Las Vegas next year and Steve is already in talks with TV bosses who want to do a reality TV show on it going Stateside.

Toyah said: "That would be unbelievable if that happened, and would really help to spread the word even faster."

Steve added: "This is an absolutely amazing show and with the current credit crunch under way is an absolute bargain.

"You get top music with all of the hits everyone knows the words to, a great storyline and some fabulous costumes."

Sunderland Echo
November 2008