Merry
Christmas, all the very
best, and a huge thank you to
everyone who has visited the
website over the last 12, very
busy, months. Thanks, as always,
to Toyah for giving us all
another amazing year of music and
much more.
Yorkshire
Post - Oh yes there is far more
to do than sit at home
It's Christmas Eve and the sound
of Slade will be ringing in your
ears by now. Nick Ahad reports on
where you can go to escape Noddy
Holder between now and New Year.
Jack and The Beanstalk / Snow
White and the Seven Dwarfs: Our
crack team of pantomime reviewers
have been trawling the county to
see this year's pantomimes so you
don't have to. In times like
these, if a trip to the panto is
a family tradition, it's tough to
know which one to pick.
Our reviewers handed out two
five-star reviews this year to
Jack and the Beanstalk at the
Bradford Alhambra and Snow White
at Sheffield Lyceum.
According to our reviewer, Billy
Pearce in panto in Bradford can
raise a belly laugh from the most
miserable misanthrope (I'd like
him to try it with this one) and
she claims "this is still
probably the best panto in
Yorkshire". There's a
counter-claim from the south of
the county, where our reviewer
saw Toyah Willcox in Sheffield
take on the role of the Wicked
Queen and Damian Williams as the
dame, stealing the show.
Both shows are on every day apart
from Christmas and New Year's Day
Sheffield Telegraph - Ten
Top things to do over Christmas
Looking for something to do in
and around Sheffield over the
long Christmas weekend? Check out
our 10 top things.
5.Snow White and the Seven
Dwarfs, the story of a young girl
escaping her wicked step mother
and setting off on an adventure
in the forest full of dwarfs,
magic mirrors, poisoned apples,
singing, dancing, audience
participation and all the
ingredients of a traditional
pantomime with Toyah Willcox as
the Wicked Queen, Damian Williams
back as the dame, Nurse Nellie,
and Toby Foster as Muddles,
Lyceum Theatre, Christmas Eve,
10am, 2pm, Boxing Day, 2pm, 7pm,
Sunday, 1pm, 5.30pm, Monday, 2pm,
7pm, Tuesday, 10am, 2pm, 7pm,
Wednesday, 2pm, 7pm, New Year's
Eve, 2pm continuing to January 10
(£13-£18).
.Christmas
YouTubing with Toyah - Christmas
Top Of The Pops 81
On
Christmas Day 1981 Top Of The
Pops included Toyah
performing their biggest hit of
the year, 'It's A Mystery', with
Toyah looking incredibly similar
to the sleeve of the, recently
released, 'Four More From Toyah'
EP. Only the night before the
band had appeared on The Old
Grey Whistle Test, live from
the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.
The concert, and this Top Of
The Pops appearance, marked
the end of an incredibly
successful year for Toyah.
.
.Record
Collector - Thirty Years In The
Life Of A Punk-Popette
'Record
Collector' magazine, issue #371
(January 2010) is now on sale.
This includes a Toyah interview:
TOYAH: Thirty years in the life
of a punk-popette.
The
flame-haired priestess of punk
looks back on 30 years of fame.
Interview by Ian Abrahams
Few artistes have moved so
effortlessly between mediums as
Toyah Willcox. As an actor she
appeared in some of the most
important pop-culture films of
the 1970s, playing
‘Mad’ in Derek
Jarman’s controversial
Jubilee and ‘Monkey’ in
the seminal mod-revivalist
Quadrophenia, but also performing
in works as diverse as
Jarman’s adaption of The
Tempest and the final instalment
of the Quatermass saga for ITV.
At the same time, she has
released a slew of records that
moved from the ferocity of her
early post-punk albums, Sheep
Farming In Barnet and Blue
Meaning, through the peak of her
commercial appeal, with the
It’s A Mystery led Four From
Toyah EP, and her image-defining
LP Anthem, hitting numbers four
and two in their respective
charts.
Read the full feature in 'Record
Collector' magazine. Visit the
website here.
Bio's one-hour Toyah
documentary special, Psychic
Therapy, which originally
aired in September, is repeated
on the last two days of the month
(year, and decade!).
Psychic Therapy is
specifically focused on the
spiritual aspect of Toyah's life
but it is also an interesting
overview of her career, with a
selection of great photos from
throughout the last 30 years
plus.
Psychic Therapy: Toyah
Willcox. Bio backed by
music. Gordon 'Psychic Barber'
Smith interviews Toyah Willcox on
matters psychic and family. He
reveals some of the star's
innermost secrets, delving into
her past and predicting her
future with help from the spirit
world. On Toyah's birth, her
mother apparently said, 'This
isn't my child,' which seems to
be partly behind her sense of
dislocation. Of most interest to
fans.
Psychic
Therapy : Biography Channel -
Wednesday 30th Dec : 5.00pm
Psychic Therapy : Biography
Channel - New Year's Eve :
10.00am
Watch out behind you – it's
panto time at the Lyceum and this
year's show is as spectacular as
ever.
Christmas wouldn't be the same
for many families without a trip
to the panto and the Lyceum
hosted its first in 1897. Snow
White and the Seven Dwarfs keeps
up the proud tradition.
Sheffield Theatres and Evolution
Pantomimes have produced the
city's main festive show for the
last three years and have
definitely found a recipe for
success. The magical ingredient
is without doubt Damian Williams,
who steals the show as the
outrageously dressed Nurse
Nellie. He excels in poking fun
at the audience and has them
rolling in the aisles, appearing
to make up some of the best jokes
as he goes along.
The whole script is 'pun-tastic'
with plenty of toilet humour as
well as many jokes which fly
straight over younger heads. The
one-liners are clever but there
are also themes which run though
the show. There's a whole scene
based on chocolate puns with the
groans getting louder at every
quip.
The music is aimed at every
generation, too, with comic takes
on everything from a High School
Musical favourite to a
reinvention of the Madness
classic Our House.
Toyah Willcox is delightfully
wicked as Queen Ivannah and belts
out some cracking songs to a
noisy background of excited boos.
Review by Nancy Fielder. Read the
full version at the 'Sheffield
Telegraph' website here.
.Toyah on
Christmas TV - Celebrity Brides
Unveiled
The edition of Celebrity
Brides Unveiled with Toyah
reminiscing about her wedding
day, and revealing some
previously unseen photographs,
will be repeated over Christmas.
This is the first time it has
aired in almost a year.
Celebrity
Brides Unveiled : Wedding TV -
Tuesday 29th Dec : 10.30pm
Celebrity Brides Unveiled :
Wedding TV - Wednesday 30th Dec :
2.30am
In this episode punk rock
Princess Toyah Willcox talks
about the heartbreak of her first
love, while we quiz T'Pau's Carol
Decker on whether she had china
on her wedding list!
Sheffield’s
lovely old theatre, the Lyceum,
has been staging pantos since the
1890s, but there can have been
few better than this lavish
version of the ever-popular Snow
White and the Seven Dwarfs.
Toyah Willcox, who can boast 13
Top 40 singles, reveals herself
to be a natural for this genre,
hamming it up delightfully as the
nasty narcissist, Queen Ivannah,
as well as still being in great
voice. She spends most of her
time consulting the oracle, the
Lord of the Mirror, played in
virtual reality to great comic
effect by local stand-up comedian
Bobby Knutt.
Damian Williams, who has done
most things in panto, contorts
his features into an impression
of Tommy Cooper, dragging it up
as the game dame, Nurse Nellie,
cleverly gauche in every way,
especially in those
well-rehearsed calamities. Toby
Foster gives great support as the
well-named Muddles, trying to
quip his way into the affections
of our heroine.
Review by Andrew Liddle. Read the
full version at 'The Stage'
website here.
.Toyah on
Christmas TV - Ready Steady Cook
Christmas Special
The festive
edition of Celebrity Ready
Steady Cook Toyah guested on
last Christmas is repeated this
Christmas. The programme will air
on Tuesday 29th December at
3.10pm on BBC2. Click on the caps
below for further info on this.
Ready Steady
Cook Christmas Special : BBC2 -
Tue 29th Dec : 3.10pm
Toyah Willcox and Shauna Lowry.
Singer Toyah Willcox and TV
presenter Shauna Lowry battle it
out to see who'll be Christmas
number one in the kitchen as
Ainsley Harriott hosts another
twenty-minute cooking challenge.
Well, never mind about keeping
the doctor away, this one
banishes the winter blues.
But the infamous poison apple is
not the only fruity thing on
offer as Snow White and those
seven dwarfs take up residence at
The Lyceum for the region's
biggest, most lavish panto.
Take some of the costumes 80s
singing star turned actress Toyah
Willcox wears as Wicked Queen
Ivannah - and a couple of the
gags designed to go over young
heads.
Writer/director Paul Hendy knows
what people want and completes a
hat-trick of pantomime successes
having previously delivered
Crucible hits with Aladdin and
Cinderella.
Helga Wood's sets and costumes
are done too well for this to be
anything like tacky. And while
there's the odd dollop of cheese
we're not talking common old
cheddar, but a ripe and frisky
Wensleydale.
Those missing local comic Bobby
Knutt get him in a virtual role
as the all-knowing man in the
mirror, but the brightest star in
this cosmos of fun is Damian
Williams, once again Dame for a
laugh.
Review by David Dunn. Read the
full version at 'The Star'
websitehere.
Two new live solo
(with full band) gigs have been
announced by Toyah for
March/April 2010, as well as
confirmation of the two
Pontins/48Hour Party dates we
previously mentioned.
An extra "secret warm-up
concert" by The Humans (with
special guest Robert Fripp) has
also been confirmed for February.
Please see the Calendar at www.toyahwillcox.com for further
information on all of these
dates.
The full 2010 live schedule, so
far, for Toyah and The Humans is
now as follows:
The Humans In Concert
2010 (with special guest Robert
Fripp)
Saturday 20th February - Secret
warm-up concert - Further info
tba
Monday 22nd February - The
Assembly, Leamington Spa
Tuesday 23rd February - The
Junction, Cambridge
Wednesday 24th February - The
Scala, London
Toyah In Concert 2010
Friday 19th March - 48Hour Party,
Southport
Friday 26th March - 48Hour Party,
Cambersands
Saturday 27th March - The Robin
2, Wolverhampton
Friday 23rd April - The Asylum,
Birmingham
From Official Toyah: TOYAH
LIVE DATES FOR SPRING 2010
Toyah has announced a busy live
gig calendar for Spring 2010
which will see both live dates
with her band The Humans in
addition to solo headline gigs.
The Humans will perform their
material for the first time in
the UK in a short tour of 3 dates
with an additional secret warm-up
gig in an intimate venue to be
announced nearer the time. Toyah
will also perform solo headline
gigs with her full band in
Birmingham’s Asylum and
Wolverhampton’s Robin 2.
.Toyah on
Christmas TV - Sky Movies -
Quadrophenia
•
Quadrophenia : Sky Movies Modern
Greats - Monday 21st Dec : 1.45am
• Quadrophenia : Sky Movies
Modern Greats HD - Monday 21st
Dec : 1.45am
• Quadrophenia : Sky Movies
Modern Greats - Sunday 27th Dec :
2.05am
• Quadrophenia : Sky Movies
Modern Greats HD - Sunday 27th
Dec : 2.05am
Toyah Willcox has
revealed starring in Sheffield's
panto, Snow White And The Seven
Dwarves, will help her get
through the toughest Christmas of
her life after losing her father.
The iconic singer and actress is
facing her first festive season
since her dad died and says she
is grateful to be playing the
Wicked Queen at The Lyceum
Theatre to distract her.
"It's my first Christmas
without my father which is a big
hurdle," she confirmed
during final rehearsals for the
show, which opens today.
"It's been a very poignant
year and this Christmas will be
tough but I'm actually counting
my blessings that I have the
pantomime because if I hadn't it
would be harder."
Toyah, who first made her name in
the 1980s with hits such as It's
A Mystery, joins a cast that
includes Sheffield comedian and
radio presenter Toby Foster and
one of the UK's best dames,
Damian Williams.
And she said she is loving
spending time in the city.
"In Sheffield, which is one
of these remarkable, versatile,
quickly-changing cities, full of
energy, I don't get up in the
morning and think, 'Oh God, I've
got to go to work'.
"It's 'Wow, I wonder who I'm
going to see arriving at the
Academy or City Hall this
morning'. You see everything
going on – everyone is part
of the life of this city."
She described her accommodation,
overlooking the City Hall stage
door, as "like having a
front seat to OK magazine every
night, especially when there is
more than one artist on the
bill... the squabbles for the
best limo, the deafening silence
when fans haven't been waiting at
stage door, and the roar of the
crowd when there are adoring fans
waiting out in the winter
temperatures!"
Read the full interview online at
'The Star' here.
Toyah's
panto for 2009, Snow White
and the Seven Dwarfs, opens
at the Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield
this afternoon at 2pm. There's a
further performance at 7pm this
evening, with a total of 52
shows, including three-a-day on
15th/29th December, before the
panto finishes on Sunday 10th
January.
There's been a long
build-up to today's opening,
beginning way back in early June
with the press launch/photo call
that took place in Sheffield's
Botanical Gardens. Read reports
on the launch at 'The Star' here, 'Sheffield
Telegraph' here, 'South Yorkshire
Times' here and 'Sheffield
Theatres' here.
In August 'Sheffield
City Hall' opened a great page
dedicated to Snow White.
View ithere. A new publicity
photo of Toyah, as Wicked Queen
Ivannah, was released in
September. View that here.
In October Toyah was
interviewed in the Nov/Dec issue
of 'Your Sheffield'. Read the
full interview here. Also in October
'South Yorkshire Times' reported
on the panto here, as did 'The Star' here, and Evolution
Pantomimes updated their website here.
In late November a
new video interview, with Toyah
talking about the panto, was
released by 'The Star'. Watch it here. The 'Wakefield
Express' included a news article here, and finally, for
now, the 'Sheffield Telegraph'
interviewed Toyah here.
There is also the
'Sheffield Theatres'Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, and website for further info on
Snow White over the
festive season.
.Christmas
YouTubing with Toyah - I Believe
In Father Christmas
Christmas
1982. Pop Goes Christmas
on ITV. Toyah performs the Greg
Lake classic 'I Believe In Father
Christmas'. Watch the full clip
of Toyah, Joel and Keith at
YouTube, or listen to it on the
player at Toyah's Official
website.
ITV2 are
currently airing a series of new I'm
A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of
Here! compilation shows,
covering the entire nine series.
Toyah may possibly appear.
I'm A
Celebrity: Unforgettable Trials :
ITV2 - Sat 12th Dec : 3.30pm
I'm A Celebrity: Unforgettable
Trials : ITV2 - Mon 21st Dec :
9.25am
Highlights show taking a look
back at the greatest - and most
horrible - Bushtucker Trials seen
in the last seven years. Every
series the jungle campmates must
take part in the most painful,
terrifying and humiliating trials
imaginable. This show relives
classic moments and gives the
celebrities a chance to tell
their side of the story.
I'm A Celebrity: Jungle
Gems : ITV2 - Sat 12th Dec :
4.30pm
I'm A Celebrity: Jungle Gems :
ITV2 - Tues 22nd Dec : 9.25am
Highlights show looking back over
the greatest moments in the
history of the I'm a Celebrity
jungle. Relive the classic rows,
romances, tears and tantrums, and
hear the stories behind these
amazing scenes from the very
people who made them happen - the
celebrities.
I'm A Celebrity: Jungle
Kings & Queens : ITV2 - Sat
12th Dec : 5.30pm
I'm A Celebrity: Jungle Kings
& Queens : ITV2 - Wed 23rd
Dec : 9.25am
Highlights show looking back at
every King and Queen of the
Jungle since Tony Blackburn won
the very first series in 2002.
Relive the stars' journey to
victory as the champions recount
their highs and lows, and what it
meant to them to win the
competition. Featuring Tony
Blackburn, Phil Tufnell, Kerry
Katona, Joe Pasquale, Carol
Thatcher, Matt Willis,
Christopher Biggins and Joe
Swash.
All also air on +1. Visit
Dreamscape's huge Toyah/I'm A
Celebrity archive here.
A feature that
appeared in the 'Mirror' a couple
of months ago.
Then and Now - What
happened to the 80s heart throbs?
With bleach blonde feather-cuts
and stonewash jeans, they pouted
from a million teenage
girls’ bedroom walls. But
fast forward two decades and most
of those 80s pin-ups are looking,
a bit, well… older. The
backcombed quiffs and rippling
stomachs have been replaced by
grey hair (what’s left of
it) and, tragically, a middle-age
paunch.
Toyah Willcox, 51: Proper
actress, property magnate .. and
not aged a day.
.Toyah on
Christmas TV - The 100 Greatest
Christmas Moments
The Christmas
double-issue of 'Radio Times'
magazine is now on sale, and it
reveals that The 100 Greatest
Christmas Moments will air
again this year, on Christmas Eve
and Christmas Day.
This is the sixth
consecutive year the programme
has been included in the
Christmas schedules, since first
airing in 2004.
Toyah is one of the festive
"talking head" guests
in the four-hour special,
commenting on a variety of
Christmas-related topics,
including her own appearance on Pop
Goes Christmas in 1982, when
she performed 'I Believe In
Father Christmas' with Joel Bogen
and Keith Hale.
100 Greatest Christmas
Moments : More4 - Christmas Eve :
8.05pm
100 Greatest Christmas Moments :
More4 +1 - Christmas Eve : 9.05pm
100 Greatest Christmas Moments :
More4 - Christmas Day : 3.00pm
100 Greatest Christmas Moments :
More4 +1 - Christmas Day : 4.00pm
The most popular festive clips of
all time, as chosen by the
British public. Featuring the end
of It's A Wonderful Life
and the kiss Dawn shares with Tim
in The Office, and
interviews with Yoko Ono and
Shane McGowan.
The first
two seasons of Secret Diary
Of A Call Girl are now
available to download from
iTunes. Toyah appears in both
seasons, in episodes two and
eight of the first (2007), and
episode one of the second (2008)
season.
Season three of Secret
Diary Of A Call Girl will
air early next year. No word yet
on whether Toyah will reprise her
role as, the lead character's
mother, Gail.
.Christmas
YouTubing with Toyah - Happy Xmas
From The Stars
At
Christmas 1982 'Smash Hits'
magazine gifted its readers with
the, now legendary, Happy
Christmas From The Stars
flexi-disc. A large guest list of
pop stars sent seasonal greetings
to readers, including a pretend
squiffy Toyah - with her unique
recipe for "shampoo".
Click below to listen - Toyah
arrives at 4.46, inbetween Martin
Fry of ABC and Steve Strange of
Visage.
•
Quadrophenia : Sky Movies Indie -
Tuesday 8th December : 10.00pm
• Quadrophenia : Sky Movies
Indie HD - Tuesday 8th December :
10.00pm
• Brum : BBC2 - Wednesday
16th December : 6.40am
• Celebrity Life Skills :
S4C - Thursday 17th December :
9.00am
• Secret Diary Of A Call
Girl : ITV2 - Date & Time tbc
(rescheduled to 2010)
.Vampires
Rock Christmas - End Of The Year
Show in Salisbury
.Saturday
5th December, 2009 • Thanks to
Mark............................Theatre
Tonight is
the final date of Vampires
Rock 2009. The show rounds
off the year at the City Hall,
Salisbury with a Christmas
extravaganza. Toyah's first Vampires
Rock dates of the year were
way back in February, including
shows at London's Shaw Theatre.
Here's Toyah at the first of
those London dates, on Saturday
28th February, pictured with
Samantha Fox and Mark Evans.
Find
Christmassy things to do in
Wiltshire this weekend:
Lost for ideas for something to
do this weekend? Find a snapshot
of events for Friday, 4 December,
Saturday, 5 December and Sunday,
6 December 2009 and links to
other sites.
Vampires Rock Christmas
at Salisbury City Hall
Vampires Rock Christmas is a show
like no other. With a twist of
rock and a hint of comedy and jam
packed with the greatest anthems
you know and love, you're
guaranteed to be on your feet!
Along with Steve Steinman and
Toyah Willcox, a full cast of
superb singers, dancers and
formidable band blast their way
through some of the greatest ever
rock anthems, including songs
from; Roy Wood, Slade, Bon Jovi,
Queen, Meat Loaf, Suzi Quatro and
many more!
Saturday 5 December. Tickets are
priced at £19.50. Visit the
Salisbury City Hall website to
book online.
.Sheffield
Telegraph - From Punk To Panto
For Versatile Toyah
Since bursting on
the scene as a singer in the punk
era, Toyah Willcox has remained
prominent in the entertainment
business for more than 30 years
which the star puts down to her
ability to constantly reinvent
herself.
But one mainstay has been
performing in pantomimes at
Christmas, which this year brings
her to Sheffield to play the
Wicked Queen in Snow White and
the Seven Dwarves at the Lyceum
Theatre.
This is her 17th panto
appearance. "I have played
various roles – Jack,
Aladdin, Peter Pan. This will be
my sixth time as the Wicked
Queen," she reveals.
And she takes them very
seriously. "I am very fussy
that the panto tells the story
because I think these stories are
wonderful," she says.
"I also believe that the
tradition of panto grew out of
Shakespeare roles –
Midsummer Night's Dream is a
comedy for a wedding celebration
and when you look at good pantos
the structures are the same.
"You've got the characters
pretending to be different sexes
and characters pretending to be
different people and the fight
between good and evil and I think
these are very good stories to
tell at Christmas."
There are potential difficulties
with the staging of Snow White,
she says. "Walt Disney made
a very famous animated film and
it means firstly as a trademark
you can't go near that film and
secondly you are dealing with a
film that demonised the
stepmother which feminists don't
like.
"And then you are dealing
with a production which uses a
very unique kind of human being,
the dwarves, so I will only do a
Snow White which is in total
celebration of everyone on that
stage and that's what I find
very, very good about the Wood
family."
Read the full interview at the
'Sheffield Telegraph' website here.
'Brighton
Music Scene' have also reviewed
Vampires Rock at the Brighton
Centre.
Steve Steinman (Stars in their
Eyes) plays Baron Von Rockula
trying to find a replacement for
his scary wife the Vampire Queen
(Toyah Willcox), and finds it in
the form of schoolgirl Pandora
(Emily Clark). This leads to the
inevitable quip about opening
Pandora's box and gives you a
feel for the tongue-in-cheek
humour that the whole show was
delivered.
Three devilishly hot backing
dancers that didn't seem to mind
being caged and whipped
occasionally played the Baron's
nightclub concubines gyrating to
every track in an array of
bodices and suspenders.
The stage set was a massive
gothic nightclub named ‘Live
and Let Die' featuring towering
windows and red-eyed bats that
Ozzy Osbourne would have been
proud of. We were also treated to
a fabulous light show, occasional
sparking explosions and Kiss
style towers of flame - give me a
wooooooo!
The vocal performances of Toyah,
Taylor, Steinman and Clark were
brilliant, often breathing new
life and energy into old tracks.
Particular highlights were
Toyah's ‘Sweet Child of
Mine', Steinman and Clark's duet
of ‘We're Going Through
Changes' and the epic ‘Bat
Out of Hell' that showed Steinman
in his ‘Meaty' element.
Toyah looked fabulous in her many
costume changes and showed her
star qualities with real stage
presence, great acting and a
powerful trademark vocal style.
Definitely worth a night out next
year if you like all the
trappings and clichés of a big
rock gig or have a passing
interest in lingerie clad
vampires.
Read the full review at 'Brighton
Music Scene' here (scroll down below
their Toyah interview).
.YouTubing
with Toyah! - Doctor Who/It's A
Mystery
I've asked
this before, and I'll ask it
again... Why oh why hasn't Toyah
been in Doctor Who? It's
a mystery! (doh!!). Steven Moffat
are you listening? (probably
not!). Anyway, thanks to these
cool YouTube clips she now is,
sort of. We've mentioned the
Sarah Jane Smith one before but
the NuWho The Unicorn &
The Wasp video is new, and
pretty darn brilliant.
.
While on the subject
of Doctor Who: A
shameless plug, as if it needs
it, for the forthcoming
Christmas/New Year specials, 'The
End Of Time'. Unmissable, epic
television, and Paisley's finest,
Mr David Tennant's Who swansong!
DW: The End Of Time (Part
One) : BBC1/HD - Christmas Day :
6.00pm
DW: The End Of Time (Part Two) :
BBC1/HD - New Year's Day : 6.40pm
Pontins are now
advertising their events and
parties for 2010, and Toyah is
included in two of their 48 Hr
Party Weekenders.
They are at Pontins Southport,
19th March 2010, and Pontins
Camber Sands, 26th March 2010.
Also on the bill for both
weekends are Paul Young, Carol
Decker, The Christians, and
Brother Beyond.
A recent interview
Toyah gave to 'Brighton Music
Scene'.
Hi Toyah, you're on tour
at the moment playing the Devil
Queen in Steve Steinman's stage
show ‘Vampires Rock' and are
due to play the Brighton Centre
on Halloween night (of all
nights). Can you tell me a little
bit about what we can expect to
see?
It's a big rock show set in 2030
with fantastic costumes,
pyrotechnics and music including
Meatloaf, Rainbow, AC/DC, Alice
Cooper, The Rolling Stones, Bon
Jovi, Queen, Whitesnake, Bonnie
Tyler and Cher - we let the
classic rock music tell the
story! It's been touring for 6
years and has built up a massive
following. It's a vampire-based
musical but we don't take
ourselves too seriously and you
can expect a fun night out.
What kinds of people come
to see this show?
We get a lot of different people
at the ‘Vampire' gigs: Rock
fans, Goths, ‘vampire
enthusiasts', as well as people
who just enjoy the whole
dressing-up thing. Of course it's
really a fun show and everyone
enjoys themselves. I think this
kind of role-play is all fine and
healthy - and of course we are
all consenting adults.
There is currently a
resurgence of interest in
vampires, the ‘Twilight'
series of books by Stephanie
Mayer and the TV Series
‘True Blood' etc. - what do
you think is the attraction of
vampires?
I think a lot of people find
vampires very romantic. There is
a great deal of fantasy, escapism
and imagination involved, a huge
erotic element and I also think
people enjoy the sense of
empowerment that being in that
role brings. Modern life
sometimes lacks a spiritual
dimension and there is still a
need in people for the
supernatural.
You are looking very
vampish on the cover of your new
album, you've played
‘Cruella De Ville' and now
your playing the ‘Devil
Queen' - do you enjoy these types
of roles?
Yes I love these roles - it's
great to play the ‘Baddie'!
I think the boundaries are much
wider and you get to show much
wider extremes of your
personality. I also love being a
‘Baddie' and keeping the
audience in suspense by
‘being nice'.
Read the full interview online at
'Brighton Music Scene' here.
.Manchester
Evening News - Two Frightfully
Good Parties
Typical. You wait
for ages for one star-studded
bash, and then two come at once.
Actor couple Denise Welch and Tim
Healy's annaul charity ball is
usually the biggest showbiz event
of the festive calendar, this
year hosted at Lancashire County
Cricket Club.
But this year they had to compete
in the star stakes with TV
presenter Eamonn Holmes, who held
his 50th birthday bash at exactly
the same time just over the road
at his beloved Manchester United.
Denise and Tim pulled out all the
stops for their “Healy House
of Horrors” spooky-themed
ball, which saw a mammoth 900
guests pack in, and no less than
75 celebrities strutting the red
carpet.
They included Denise's thespian
workmates past and present,
including Waterloo Road stars Tom
Chambers, Angela Griffin, Chelsee
Healy, Coronation Street stars
Simon Gregson, Shobna Gulati,
Gaynor Faye, Sally Lindsay, Vicky
Binns and Alison King, Heartbeat
star Tricia Penrose and Denise's
Loose Women colleagues Carol
McGiffin, Zoe Tyler and Andrea
McLean.
Guests were treated to a mammoth
night of entertainment from a
host of stars hamming it up in a
version of the Rocky Horror Show,
including Blue singer Antony
Costa and ex-Corrie star Scott
Wright wearing the skimpiest gold
hotpants to play the
super-sculpted Rocky Horror.
Stars of theatre extravaganza
Vampire's Rock, including 80s
icon Toyah Willcox, also burst
onto stage to entertain guests at
the eye-popping bash, which
raised a massive £60,000 for
charities the Gem Appeal and the
Motor Neurone Disease
Association.
Read the full report at
'Manchester Evening News' here.
.Wakefield
Express - Snow Mystery Who The
Panto Villain Is
Mirror, mirror, on
the wall, who is the biggest
panto villain of them all?
Well Toyah Willcox will be giving
all the other baddies a run for
their money in Sheffield Lyceum's
Christmas pantomime Snow White
and the Seven Dwarfs with her
gritty portrayal of the Wicked
Queen.
This is the third production to
be produced by Sheffield Theatres
with Evolution Productions after
the phenomenal success of
Cinderella and Aladdin. Joining
Toyah is Sheffield's own Toby
Foster, who plays Muddles, and
Damian Williams, as Dame Nurse
Nellie.
Producer and director Paul Hendy
is best known as a television
presenter, hosting shows like
Wheel of Fortune and Don't Try
This At Home. He said: "We
are so excited about working with
Sheffield Theatres again.
Audiences over the past two years
have been just fantastic. Our aim
is to make this pantomime the
best in Yorkshire but also the
best pantomime in the
country."
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
comes to Sheffield Lyceum Theatre
from Friday, December 11 to
Sunday, January 10. Tickets are
available by contacting the box
office on 0114 2496000 or by
visiting
www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk
Read the full article at
'Wakefield Express' here.
.Belper
News - Rock Extravaganza Packs
Plenty Of Bite
Buxton Opera House
welcomes Toyah Willcox back to
the venue on December 3 to
provide some chilling festive fun
when she appears in the hit show
Vampires Rock Christmas.
Vampires Rock Christmas is a show
like no other. With a twist of
rock and a hint of comedy, and
jam-packed with the greatest
anthems you know and love, you're
guaranteed to be rockin' in the
aisles.
Along with Steve Steinman and
Toyah Willcox, a full cast of
singers and dancers, plus their
formidable band, blast their way
through some of the greatest-ever
rock anthems including songs from
Roy Wood, Slade, Bon Jovi, Queen,
Meat Loaf, Suzi Quatro and many
more.
All this, and an amazing stage
set and pyrotechnics to boot, and
you've got a mind-blowing rock
spectacular not to be missed.
The show starts at 7.30pm.
Tickets are £20.50 and £22.50
and discounts are available. To
buy tickets or for more
information call the box office
on 0845 1272190.
Sky Movies Screen 2
has been rebranded as Sky Movies
Christmas Channel for December,
and Toyah is included in the
festive schedules, albeit in the
decidedly un-Christmassy Quadrophenia.
Here's the Sky Movies blurb!
Happy December!
'Tis officially Yuletide and the
Sky Movies Christmas Channel is
here in all its seasonal
splendour on Sky Channel 303
while bringing more HD joy on
314. The movie wonderland is open
throughout the festive season
with a daily box set to knock
your woolly socks off.
Sky Movies Christmas Channel -
and its HD sister - are here to
help you unwind with a
sleigh-full of cinematic gifts.
No hassle, no humbug - just great
movies to keep you in the
merriest of moods.
The fun begins today with the
trailblazing trilogy of the Back
To The Future Box Set, with other
sparkling collections including
The Italian Job and Quadrophenia
in the Best Of British Box Set
(4th December), the Indiana Jones
Box Set (18th December), the Home
Alone Box Set (21st December) and
Kung Fu Panda and Bee Movie in
the Animation Box Set (22nd
December).
As you can see, it's not just
movies about Christmas but a
cracking assortment that brings
people together after a hard
day's shopping, card-writing and
tree-trimming and put everyone in
a merry mood. That said, we'd be
a right bunch of turkeys if we
didn't deliver a sackful of
tinsel-wrapped, Santa-stamped
Christmas goodies like The Muppet
Christmas Carol, The Grinch and
Fred Claus.
Quadrophenia (1979):
It's 1964, and disillusioned
youth Jimmy (Phil Daniels) finds
an outlet for his angst in the
booming Mod movement. But as part
of the moped-riding,
Parka-wearing, trouble-causing
fraternity, Jimmy is swept up in
a wave of violence that's about
to crash on the Brighton
seafront. Featuring an
up-and-coming cast including Ray
Winstone, Leslie Ash, Sting,
Philip Davis and Toyah Willcox,
Franc Roddam's adaptation of The
Who's rock opera is as iconic as
British drama gets.
It's December! The
last month of the year, and,
indeed, the last month of the
decade. I've decided this year
not to include any specific
Christmas content, but please
take a look in the News Archive
at previous December's for a
wealth of Toyah Yuletide trivia,
features & shenanigans!
.Vampires
Rock Photos/News
.Tuesday
1st December, 2009 • Thanks to
Michael/Kevan.............Pictures
The first
of the final five Vampires
Rock shows of 2009 takes
place tonight at Hull New
Theatre. Here's two more
aftershow photos from the
successful tour: Toyah with
Michael O'Brien at the Victoria
Theatre, Halifax (19th November)
and with Kevan Gosling at the
Princess Theatre, Torquay (22nd
November).
Bio's one-hour Toyah
documentary special, Psychic
Therapy, which originally
aired in September, is repeated
on the last two days of the month
(year, and decade!).
.
The Christmas
double-issue of 'Radio Times'
magazine is now on sale, and it
reveals that The 100 Greatest
Christmas Moments will air
again this year, on Christmas Eve
and Christmas Day. 
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