"Hello Miss Willcox, the BBC here. good news, you've got the part!"

Toyah, aged 17, being informed that she had just won the role of Sue in the BBC Second City Firsts production Glitter. 

"This was my first professional acting. My first time in the studio on multi-camera. Technique eluded me but there was a spark that everyone seemed to recognise. 

"All my life I had wanted to sing. This was my chance. 

"In the play I had to sing with the band, Bilbo Baggins. inspired by the band, the equipment, the volume, the ambience... my mind was set. I had to put a band together myself, or get into one... quick!"

"You'll never get anywhere if you play the guitar sitting down!"

"You've got to let go sometimes, or you'll just die"

Not only was this was Toyah's first ever professional acting role, it was also the first time she sang publically too.

Toyah performs two songs in the 30 minute TV play.

She co-wrote both. 

1. Floating Free 
2. Dream Maker 

'Floating Free' is an acoustic ballad, with Phil Daniels accompanying Toyah on guitar. 

"You can never tie me down, cos I am floating free, you'll never tie me to the ground with your reality... " 

"You're still here, and I'm a million miles away... You're still here, and I'm a million miles away... floating free... woooowooooaah"

"You must've been young once?" 

"Did you know that Suzi Quatro is the only girl in the entire history 
of the universe to make it as a bass guitarist?"

The second song, which closes the drama, 'Dream Maker', was performed with the band, Bilbo Baggins. This is far rockier than 'Floating Free' with Toyah giving no hint that she was new to performing as a singer. 

"Well I was looking in the mirror, to see what I could see. I saw somebody drowning, could it be the real me?" 

"Heartbreaker, dream maker, get you, sooner or later... " 

The lyrics to both songs could be considered quite "Toyah-ish" though she receives no credit for either. 

Nick Bicat is credited with composing and directing the musical content of Glitter.

"I wanna be so famous, that I'm a household name, all over the world"

"There's something in my beans... meat!!"

Glitter: Did You Know? 

There was only two weeks to rehearse and record Glitter. 

The drama was filmed in 1975 but wasn't broadcast until a year later. 

Toyah was spotted by a wardrobe mistress at BBC Pebble Mill while
she was appearing as an extra in a drama set in the 1950's.

Nick Bicat had spread the word he was looking for "a girl who had 
to look different, sound different, and be able to sing". 

The wardrobe mistress contacted him to let him know she had spotted 
"an unusual looking girl" at BBC Pebble Mill. 

Toyah auditioned for the part of Sue by singing David Bowie's 
'Life On Mars'. 

"I sang it dreadfully", recalled Toyah 25 years later.
                       
Glitter: Cast 

Sue: TOYAH WILLCOX 
Barry: PHIL DANIELS 
Ray Gutburg: DIXIE DEAN 
DJ: NOEL EDMONDS 
Sue's mother: DOREMY VERNON 
Pop Group: BILBO BAGGINS 

Producer: TARA PREM 
Director: TONY BICAT