Toyah Willcox is one of the first voices I hear upon waking pretty much every morning.

Now I don’t live with the former punk princess ... and, although I am a child of the 80s and delighted to be so, I don’t have It’s A Mystery programmed into my alarm clock.

However, I do immerse myself in the wonderfully colourful world of Teletubbies as the sun rises each day ... and, as anyone who has become a parent in the past 12 years will know, it is Toyah’s distinctive voice which opens and closes proceedings.

As the baby-faced sunshine comes up over the greener than green hills in Teletubbyland – Ms Willcox gets things under way with the immortal words (in the world of children’s TV anyway): “Over the hills and far away, Teletubbies come to play ...”

And then, following whatever antics we’ve enjoyed from those crazy beings who have tellies in their tummies, she brings the curtain, and the sun down, with: “the sun is setting in the sky, Teletubbies say goodbye,” which is particularly impressive when you consider Toyah’s position as one of the world’s most famous lispers.

Thus, I can’t let a chat with the now 50-year-old pass without giving this entry on her ridiculously varied and packed-to-the-rafters CV an early mention.

Turns out, she’s proud as punch about her involvement ... just as she is about the entries which cover her other careers as a singer, prolific and award-winning actress, TV presenter, author, reality television subject and alternative therapy flag waver.

Read the full lengthy interview here or here.

'Lesser God' from Vampires Rock 2008 DVD. Buy at www.vampiresrock.com. Track taken from Toyah's 2008 studio album 'In The Court Of The Crimson Queen'. The 10-track, critically acclaimed, album is available to buy now at iTunes and www.remembertheeighties.com.

• Thanks to Ross Hemsworth, who interviewed Toyah at the Spiritual Tides Festival, and provided the file, back in April 2006.

So yesterday on a very hot, lazy Sunday I compiled, just for fun, Toyah In Time And Space:

1. Race Through Space, 2. Castaways, 3. Moon Migration, 4. It's A Mystery, 5. Martian Cowboy, 6. Jungles of Jupiter, 7. Brave New World, 8. Falling To Earth, 9. Space Between The Sounds, 10. Dreamscape, 11. Ghost Light, 12. The Druids, 13. Danced, 14. Alien, 15. The Furious Futures, 16. Sphinx

But as is traditional these days, the stars came out in style as the cast of Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs launched Sheffield Lyceum's 2010 offering.

The ever popular Damian Williams stars as Nurse Nellie, Toyah Willcox plays the Wicked Witch and comedian and radio Sheffield presenter Toby Foster is making his first steps into the world of panto as the Dame's son Muddles, who gets everything wrong.

I caught up with Toby and Toyah after they posed for the customary promotional snaps.

Said Toby: "I came to see Aladdin last year with my kids. I saw Damian playing the dame and he was so good at it, I decided I would like to have a go! There is nothing finer than making a lot of kids laugh at Christmas. I cannot think of a higher calling.

Snow White It is a bit odd to be working with Toyah – when I was 14, she was the gorgeous girl at the top of the charts – and she is still gorgeous".

Toyah has been no stranger to controversy during her 30 year career, which has seen her top the charts with arty-punk hits like It's a Mystery, star in iconic films like Quadrophenia – and latterly bare her life in reality TV shows. She is also now something of a veteran in the panto world.

She said: "I have played the Witch Queen about six times and I love it. I do like to make the audience hate me."

Toyah is keeping busy in a similar gothic way with a 50-date tour of the Rocky-Horror style Vampires Rock as well as touring with her own arthouse band The Humans.

"I have always Iiked to push the boundaries in different ways – and now I am in my 50s I can get away with it. Every new birthday I am told I am too old but every decade there are new challenges.

"I love doing things which take people by surprise."

Tickets for Sheffield Lyceum's 2009 Pantomime 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' are on sale now. Box Office 0114 249 6000.

Read the full article here.

View the short clip here.

SPECIAL GUEST STAR TOYAH WILLCOX AS THE DEVIL QUEEN
Hailed by some of rock’s royalty including Brian May (Queen) Paul Crook (Anthrax and Meat Loaf) and Eddie Ojeda (Twisted Sister), Vampires Rock is a show like no other! Seen by over a million people the show features Steve Steinman and Toyah Willcox plus a full cast of superb singers, dancers and live band, blasting their way through some of the greatest ever rock anthems including Bat Out Of Hell, We Will Rock You, Highway To Hell, Since You’ve Been Gone, Total Eclipse Of The Heart, Devil Gate Drive, I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll, Sweet Child Of Mine and many more! All teamed with an amazing stage set and pyrotechnics to blow your mind, this rock spectacular is not to be missed!

Please click here for part one of the article, and here for part two.

This article has also been covered by The Move Channel.

The Fragile project is Robert Jürjendal and Arvo Urb with Markus, plus Toyah and Chris Wong from The Humans as collaborators/special guests.

“Working in Estonia was wonderful" says Markus. "The improvised music sits somewhere between nineties Crimson jams and more abstract Centrozoon stuff, with Toyah’s (mostly spoken word) improvised lyrics. I went totally crazy with wacky guitar sounds. We’re hoping to complete the production later this year. I’ll be producing the final mixes."

Posted by Sid Smith on Thursday 18th June at www.dgmlive.com

This DVD is priced £10 (plus p&p) and can be ordered at the GBC website here.

How do you feel about the BBC naming you as one of the top ten Queens of British Pop?
I was relieved. I was the biggest selling artist from 1981 through the mid-80's and certainly one of the biggest selling female artists. I think the audience voted me into the top ten because the BBC decided not to include me in the making of the programme. I was massively grateful that people came forward and asked, "Why wasn't she included?" I know there was thousands of complaints.

Why do you suppose the BBC originally wanted to exclude you?
The producer said there was too many artists to choose from but I think they went for international names rather than truly Brit names. Everyone they chose had international careers so that was how it was decided but I was thrilled to be in the top ten.

Read the full interesting interview here.

GBC Television UK Ltd is proud to present an extra DVD filmed during Maspalomas Pride 2009.

A stunning hour long performance by the legendary Toyah Willcox at Sparkles Showbar on Sunday 10th May 2009.

This DVD is priced £10 (plus p&p) and can be ordered at the GBC website here.

A few photos of Toyah from the Snow White 2009 photo call/press launch.

Mirror, mirror on the wall, where is the funniest panto of them all?

This Christmas, don't miss our spectacular, fun-packed, family pantomime Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. With comedy, singing, dancing, audience participation, and stunning sets and costumes, this year's Lyceum Theatre pantomime promises to be our biggest and best panto ever!

Our star-studded cast includes pop icon, Toyah Willcox as The Wicked Queen; the hilarious Damian Williams (last year's Widow Twankey) is back by popular demand as Nurse Nellie and the funniest man in town, Toby Foster (BBC Radio Sheffield), makes his Lyceum debut as Muddles the Court Jester. Local legend, Bobby Knutt will also make a special 'virtual' appearance as the Man in the Mirror. They are joined by a top quality supporting cast and seven of the best professional dwarfs in the country. Written and directed by Paul Hendy and produced by the team that brought you last year's smash hit Aladdin, Snow White promises to be top quality family entertainment.

Can good conquer evil? Can love save the day? Can Damian Williams be funnier than last year?

Click here for further info and ticket/booking details. Click here for a larger photo of Toyah as Queen Morgiana.

There are similar reports on this at www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk and The Star.

Certificate: 12
Main category: Feature
Sub category: Drama
Colour / BW: B/W
Country of origin: Belgium/UK
Year of Production: 1993
Starring: Natalie Morse, Gene Bervoets, Toyah Willcox, Peter Postlethwaite, Chris Eccleston
Director: Chris Newby
Producer: Ben Gibson, Paul Breuls
Writer: Judith Stanley-Smith, Christine Watkins

Lots more Toyah DVD/video info from the BVA here.

Christopher Eccleston, Pete Postlethwaite and Toyah Willcox star in Chris Newby's 1993 film Anchoress, a sensual tale of religious conflict, in which a young girl's transcendental vision threatens to upset the foundations of her community.

Inspired by records of the real Anchoress of Shere (near Guildford, Surrey), who was voluntarily walled up in a tiny cell adjoining a church, the film vividly evokes life in a remote medieval village and explores the gulf between patriarchal power and female rebellion.

After claiming to be in direct contact with the Virgin Mary, 14-year-old Christine (Natalie Morse) takes the advice of her local priest (Christopher Eccleston) and becomes an anchoress. Over the protestations of her parents, she devotes her life to prayer, surviving on charitable food donations while dispensing advice to pilgrims. Becoming an anchoress was a form of voluntary martyrdom, the sealing-up ceremony having a deliberately funereal feel, as though the subject had already died – which, in a sense, she had, at least from the outside world’s perspective.

Featuring exquisite cinematography by Michel Baudour, the film has been re-mastered for this DVD release from the original negative under the supervision of its director, Chris Newby. The DVD will be released in the UK on 22nd June 2009 by the BFI at the RRP of £19.99 with the following special features:

• The Old Man of the Sea (1989, 21 mins) - Newby's short film on the ancient relationship between man, nature and the supernatural;
• Flicker (2001, 4 mins) - Newby's study of the Guy Fawkes Night celebrations at Lewes;
• Stromboli (1998, 11 mins) - Newby's portrait of the Aeolian island known for its violent volcanic eruptions;
• Illustrated booklet.

The Vampires Rock 2008 DVD is on sale here.

Another video clip has also been added to 'The Star' website here. This contains further footage from the photo call/panto launch.

Bents Park in South Shields will once again host a series of Sunday afternoon pop and rock concerts through the summer.

Punk star Toyah Willcox will be the headliner on July 5, supported by former T'Pau singer Carol Decker and Fame Academy star Sinead Quinn.

Read the full news item here.

The multi-talented singer, actor, television presenter and author, now 51, was a pleasure to talk to.

And she can’t wait to come up and perform in Whitehaven as part of the star-studded Here and Now concert on August 15.

“Whitehaven will be new territory for me, I have performed in Ambleside and Carlisle before,” said Toyah.

“Here and Now is incredibly successful around the world. It is hit after hit of pure nostalgia.

“And the audiences are getting younger and younger because eighties music is so popular, the audience is always smiling from beginning to end.”

So what makes it appealing to a younger audience?

“I think that teenagers have discovered eighties music for themselves. People have knocked the eighties and that’s done nothing but make them want to know more about it. It was written for teenagers, by teenagers.

“It was a decade of image and the songs were very strong, as was the fashion – for men and women.

“I do think that the songs were made for stadiums and because of that the open-air arenas work very well with this music – it’s very anthemic and very personal.”

Toyah’s eighties career was phenomenally successful, resulting in hit records including It’s A Mystery and I Want To Be Free. In fact, she has had a total of 15 Top 40 singles and four gold and platinum albums.

“It was a fabulous time,” she says. “When you are young and have that kind of fame, it is everything that you want. It is extraordinary because you could not go anywhere without being mobbed.

“There weren’t many women doing what we did then. We were on a crest of a wave, we were making women strong and opinionated.”

Read the full interview here.

He is recording with Toyah and Chris Wong for a new single by The Humans.

Charlie was the Toyah band's second bassist, having replaced Mark Henry in 1979. He played on the awesome album 'The Blue Meaning' and the equally wonderful 'Bird in Flight'/'Tribal Look' double A-Side single.

• Toyah and Simon Darlow are working on a follow-up to 'In The Court Of The Crimson Queen'. They have also been asked to write for the new album of a "major artist".

• The digital release of The Humans debut album will be announced during Summer 2009.

• 2010 UK/European tour dates for The Humans will be announced by Toyah's Official site later this year.

• The Humans record their first single in Seattle and the UK this month.

• 'Quicksilver' from 'We Are The Humans' album is the featured track on a short film, by Stephanie Zarl of Zona Pictures, that will show around the world.

• Robert Fripp will be a member of The Humans for the follow-up album to 'We Are The Humans', writing and recording of which will take place in Seattle this Summer.

• Toyah and Chris Wong will record a new album in Estonia with a leading musician from that country.

The Big Hair Affair 80s gig, scheduled for 1st August, has been cancelled.

The Official DVDs of Gran Canaria's Maspalomas Pride 2009 will be on sale in our online shop on Friday 5th June 2009.

This year's DVDs will be added to our online shop when they are complete.
The DVDs that will be produced are as follows:

• Thursday Night HIV & AIDS Benefit Show
• Friday Night Show
• Saturday Night Show
• Pride Day

An Additional DVD will be available shortly, date to be confirmed:

• Toyah Willcox at Sparkles Showbar

Update: Thanks to Hazel McCartney who has just been in touch. She ordered the DVD last week and received it on Thursday so it looks like this is being sent out.

Above are three of my current favourites but there are numerous Toyah clips to enjoy: classic songs, live appearances, videos, tv interviews, quiz shows and much more... including The Official Toyah YouTube Channel.

A few more photographs of Toyah at Maspalomas Pride from earlier this month. Please click on them for larger versions.

Starring Toyah Willcox, The Power of Three centres on three women in their 50s who team up to transform their lives and fulfil their lifelong ambitions.

Filmed primarily in Hampstead and Belsize Park, the film promises to showcase the highlights of north London as well as celebrating the power of friendship and community.

Producer Ann Cameron said: “The story is all about our shared experiences. We’ve all been there, and we look at life in the same way.”

Ms Willcox plays Michelle, a struggling film director who is finding it hard to crack the highly competitive old boys’ network of the film business.

Friends Olivia and Lizzie, played by award-winning actresses Brümilda van Rensburg and Robin Craig, decide to pool their strengths to help Michelle realise her dreams.

In a case of art imitating life, the plot bears an unmistakable resemblance to the making of the film where the trio of female producers Ms Cameron, Yvonne Deutschman and Thereza Snyman decided it was time to tackle the lack of feature films portraying older women.

Ms Cameron, originally from Canada, said: “We realised that no-one was making movies for people like us, so the inevitable question was – what are we going to do about it?”

In the past five years they have worked to turn an original idea into a script, canvassing support among fellow film professionals and coming up with the simple concept of dividing out proceeds according to the contributions.

South African entrepeneur Ms Snyman said: “Everyone involved takes ownership of the project, because they are the project.

“The enthusiasm and commitment is amazing.”

After the groundbreaking success of Calendar Girls and Mamma Mia, two films that dared to cast older actresses in leading roles as opposed to the usual character parts, it seems the film industry is finally grasping the potential of older women.

Ms Deutschman said: “If we’d been doing this two years ago we wouldn’t have had as much interest, but now the over-50s is rapidly becoming a proven film-going audience.”

The Power of Three will premiere in London in the autumn.

The amazing Toyah Willcox on stage at Maspalomas Pride 2009 - taken from GBC Television UK Ltd's Official DVDs of Gran Canaria Pride 2009 - available soon at www.GBCTelevision.com

• Places2Stay: Blackpool Pride festival attracts record numbers
According to the Blackpool Gazette, over 10,000 people attended events on the Golden Mile over the two days, including a picnic in the park and music concerts. Celebrity guests to make an appearance at the new venue on Dickson Road included 1980s singing legend Toyah Willcox and former S Club 7 singer Jo O'Meara.

• Blackpool Gazette: Colourful parade's Pride of the Prom
More than 10,000 smiles said it all – Blackpool was very proud of itself.
Record crowds gathered on the Golden Mile over the weekend for the resort's fourth annual Pride event. This year's diversity festival was in a new location with Dickson Road in front of Funny Girls chosen to be at the heart of the action. The road was closed off to traffic so a stage could be created which hosted live acts including eighties singers Toyah Willcox and Hazell Dean and SClub 7's Jo O'Meara.

Toyah, have you ever visited Gran Canaria before?  And what made you take up the offer? This is the first time I've been to Gran Canaria, and when Sparkles Showbar asked me to take part in their Gay Pride celebrations I welcomed the opportunity.  It was good fun riding on the float this afternoon and seeing my many fans.

Have you managed to see anything of the island whilst here? No, only the hotel room, as usual!

Where is your next tour and when? Firstly it's back to the UK, where I have a number of tours organised throughout the country at various festivals and big parks, then I'm off to Seattle to write another album, then on tour again in the US.  Autumn will find me back in the UK to start the new Vampires Rock show.

Read the full interview here.

Read the article here.

This episode, and the previous four of series two of Ashes to Ashes, is available to watch at BBC iPlayer. Click on the screen caps for larger versions.

Directed by Chris Newby (Madagascar Skin) and starring Pete Postlewaithe and Christopher Eccleston, Anchoress is a visually arresting story of religious conflict set in the Middle Ages. After having a transcendental vision, a young girl becomes an Anchoress (a virgin who is walled up in a chamber in the church) and her enclosure gradually begins to threaten the foundations of the whole community.

Starring: Natalie Morse, Gene Bervoets, Toyah Willcox, Pete Postlethwaite, Christopher Eccleston, Michael Pas, Brenda Bertin, Annette Badland, Veronica Quilligan & Julie T. Wallace.

A collection of video clips of Toyah onstage in Blackpool.

Toyah was due to play her set outside but because of adverse weather conditions it was moved inside. She was onstage for around 30 minutes. Robert was also in Blackpool and Toyah mentioned it was their Wedding Anniversary.

At the end of the PA Toyah was presented with a birthday cake (see the photos above) and everyone sang Happy Birthday to her.

Toyah's Blackpool set list: Are You Gonna Go My Way, Echo Beach, Thunder In The Mountains, School's Out, It's A Mystery, Sweet Child 'O Mine, I Want To Be Free, and I Love Rock 'N Roll.

Camera crews filmed both of Toyah's sets, and both were also recorded. It looks like there are plans for a CD and possible DVD release.

The interview With Roxy Epoxy & The Rebound is at the Popwreckoning website. The full article can be viewed here, or by clicking the photo of Roxy..

PW: So who are some of your influences and inspirations?

Roxy Epoxy: Seriously though, I think the main people that I had in mind while writing were Nina Hagen and Toyah Willcox. Lene Lovich and Hazel O’Connor. Those are the four I have been citing a bunch.

Actress, singer and TV presenter Toyah Willcox films reports for the BBC Holiday Programme.

How many visa stamps are in your passport?
I have a very thick ten-year passport which always gets questioned when I go to Israel. They think I must be a terrorist because I also have a Polish visa. I get interrogated every time, even though they know me - I have a hit satellite show in Israel. I have lots of American visa stamps because my husband, who's a musician, works in Los Angeles (inset) for two weeks a month, and I pop over to see him all the time.

What is your favourite place to visit?
It would have to be Estonia, where I will be making a movie this year. It's sensational, totally unspoiled. Amazingly it's full of Scottish people who went there three years ago for a football match that never happened - and they never came home. There are lots of Scottish pubs and you can live there on about pounds 10 a week. Israel is also fantastic. It's never dull and is full of extremes. On my last visit I was filming for the BBC's Holiday Programme and I had to live like a nomad in the Negev desert for six days. Then I'd pop back to Eilat to have a bath and it was like being in Las Vegas.

What was your worst experience?
I was touring in Poland five years ago and it was difficult getting food. And when you turned taps on all that came out was sludge, so no-one used the bath. There was also a huge alcohol problem.

What is your favourite form of transport?
I love flying. Yachts are awful because you get stuck with people. I can be anonymous on a plane.

Who is your ideal travelling companion?
I like travelling on my own, I'm a very insular person. I just love getting on a plane with magazines and a good book.

What essentials would you never leave behind?
A handbag and a toothbrush. Once I went to LA and that's all I took because I have clothes at my husband's place. Customs were very suspicious because I didn't have a suitcase.

Toyah's set list on Sunday included 'Thunder In The Mountains', 'I Love Rock 'N Roll', and 'Are You Gonna Go My Way'.

Check back soon for more of Alec Kelly's fantastic Toyah in Gran Canaria photos.

Toyah also contributes to another song, 'On Bass', on the album. This is confirmed here.

There are reviews of the album here and here. It is also available to buy via Amazon, and there is information about it at the DGM website.

HoLEY vOid is the inimitable audio sitcom with a twist of variety performance.
The setting is 'HoLEY vOid', a glamorous Earth tribute entertainment venue on a spaceship.

The stellar musical guests are alien tribute acts to themselves!

The core characters who run the HoLEY vOid (a flying telepathic cocktail waiter, a multi-armed cyborg and a lone human) battle baddies or solve a mystery - with help or hindrance from the cast and special guest stars.

Paul Daniels, Debbie McGee, Toyah Willcox and Ruth Madoc join the adventure in Normal Space.

Escape to a place where the credit crunch is HoLEY vOid...

• In other Toyah related sitcom news - the complete first series of FM has just been released on DVD - For completists only I would assume as Toyah's guest appearance, in Episode Two, lasts around 10 seconds!

• Toyah was mentioned yesterday morning on BBC Radio Devon, on the Judy Spiers Show, in a feature on Quadrophenia - The Musical (Thanks to Stephen)

• Toyah is namechecked in an article at www.yourcanterbury.co.uk, on Paul Hendy's book "Who Killed Simon Peters?".

• Unfortunately availability of 'We Are The Humans' has been slightly delayed.

• Remember The Eighties, the website the album is exclusively available through until it is released on iTunes, issued this information:

Thank you so much for pre-ordering the new album from Toyah / Bill Reiflin / Chris Wong's new project 'The Humans'.

In a perfect world the albums would be all packed up right now ready to be posted to you in the morning, however it turns out that the world is not quite perfect and although the jiffy bags are all addressed and stacked up, I still haven't actually received the albums from the pressing plant. Apparently a printing problem has meant that a whole new set of covers has had to be printed which has led to delays with the delivery.

The albums are due to be delivered any day now (I'm afraid that at the moment I can't be more specific than that) and will be packed and shipped out to you as soon as possible, but it only seemed fair to warn you that they might not be shipped tomorrow as planned. Sorry... [Thanks to Minna]

In the meantime, the film's Facebook page is still available, as is the Official Website. Both have lots of background info on the film. The 'South Africa Times' have already published an article on the film.