TOYAH ON
BBC RADIO HUMBERSIDE
WITH DAVID BURNS
1.5.2013

DAVID: (reads on email) This is from Mike, he says “Wohoo Toyah! "It's A Mystery", "I Want To Be Free", "Thunder In The Mountains" – I had a right thing for Toyah! I knew all the words, used to drive the family nuts singing the songs! Wasn't really sure about the "Teletubbies" though! Love you though, Toyah!”

In that case I can't really top that introduction so let's talk to Toyah! Morning, how are you?

TOYAH: (laughs) How are you doing?

DAVID: I'm good. Have you always inspired that sort of devotion?

TOYAH: I can't answer that! I'm still going, I'm 55 this year and still really busy so I must be doing something right

DAVID: You must be doing something right. Strangely enough we were talking about “Quadrophenia” (below) and scooters earlier in the week and at the time I forgot you were in it, weren't you?!

TOYAH: Yeah, I play “Monkey” in it

DAVID: What was that experience like?

TOYAH: The word experience sums it up! It was a massive film. On the poster there's the main characters. There was about 7 of us. There's Sting, Lesley Ash, Phil Daniels, Mark Wingett, Trevor Laird. We've all gone on to great careers

At the time we were undiscovered. It was just this massive film, it was an event to make it. There was about 5000 extras because we had to recreate the Brighton mods and rockers riots. So I just remember complete unorganised mayhem. But this fantastic film came out of it

One of the biggest curses I have about this film is that is was critically slated and I think it's one of the most important British films ever made. Every generation has rediscovered it for itself over the last 32 years. I think if something is good it lasts

DAVID: Well said! I loved it! I thought it was a fantastic film and I still do!

TOYAH: I think generally the younger generation – the rite of passage, the confused teenagers really identify with this film. It's about finding yourself, it's about standing on your own two feet, learning how to be grounded. It's about your first sexual encounter. I just think it's an incredibly powerful message

 

DAVID: You must be very proud to have been in it. I appreciate you talking about “Quadrophenia” but now as you say you've advanced slightly in years (Toyah laughs) So you're now a “Hormonal Housewife”! Tell me about that, Toyah?

TOYAH: I'm on tour, doing “Hormonal Housewives”. We're in Scunthorpe, the Bath Halls on the 2nd of May. It's very very naughty, it's written as stand-up comedy. There's three of us on stage, we talk directly to the audience. It's about women, it's about the secrets lives of women

We tackle subjects that women perhaps feel they can only talk about in the living room amongst themselves rather than in the broader reaches of the world. We cover things from pregnancy to PMS to labour, competitive mums at the school gate, being bad at the gym, the fact that we have three sizes of clothes in our wardrobe, that we're always hoping we'll get into the smallest size (David laughs) and things like that

DAVID: Competitive mums at the school gates?

TOYAH: Yes. Well, I'm not a mum so I'm acting on that one. But apparently a lot of it goes on and we cover that subject about oneupmanship

DAVID: In terms of it being a fashion parade and things like that?

TOYAH: I think you're very right. There is the fashion parade thing but there's also that ridiculous thing of "my child is cleverer than yours" or "your child is disturbed and should be on drugs to keep him calm" 

It's all of those things that we never really accept as children, teenagers, even adults, for what they are. To some extent we're always passing some form of judgement and it starts sometimes at the school gates

DAVID: So is this an insight into the modern woman then?

TOYAH: I think it's an insight. The whole piece, the whole evening is an insight into women of all ages, through all shapes and sizes. This is not a show about body fascism, this is a pure celebration of women and it's very Chaucerian. It's incredibly naughty, it's not suitable for anyone under the age of 16

DAVID: Right, OK

TOYAH: It's very bawdy, in about 900 women in the audience we have about 6 men. The most fun we have is with gay men. They laugh louder than the women! But I think any man who comes to see this has to be slightly brave and has to love female banter

DAVID: Yeah, I can imagine it could be very good. Is it belly laugh funny? I take it is?

TOYAH: It's so naughty. The biggest compliment and complaint we've had in the same sentence is people leave with their ribs hurting

DAVID: Right! You can't say much fairer than that. So is this a big tour for you then?

TOYAH: Yeah, we're doing 67 venues in two and a half months. We're only doing one night stands so we're running it as a comedy tour. We're now well over half way through, we've only got 23 shows left. So there's a lot of travelling, it's full on

It's great great fun! I've never done anything like this because it is in the style of stand-up so we talk about ourselves as real people but then slot in six characters where we do these sketches so it's like a sketch show as well

DAVID: Are you more of an actress than a singer these days?

 

TOYAH: God no, I tour the whole year round. I've been touring the last four years! So straight after this I start touring again 

DAVID: Have you got a whipcracking agent? Is that what it's about or can you not just sit up at home with your feet up enjoying life?

TOYAH: No, I do everything. I have my office at home, I book the band, do all the contracts. I do have agents as well but I really enjoy my work so it's a really nice way to spend your time and there's no need for me to be sitting at home with my feet up. But one day I may do that!

DAVID: I find that when you say "I'm going to sit at home with my feet up", that's the day you peg it really -

TOYAH: Well, I've been told!

DAVID: You've got to keep doing, you've got to keep cracking. I wish you all the best. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful evening at the Bath Halls in Scunthorpe

It's a real pleasure to talk to you and seriously take great pride in "Quadrophenia". It doesn't date in any way. I watched it a few weeks ago and a what a fantastic film!

TOYAH: That's brilliant, thank you!

DAVID: Really nice to talk to you, appreciate your time this morning