TOYAH ON
KENNY LIVE
RTÉ, IRELAND
12.11.1994

PAT KENNY: Looking back at the punk era, you were a woman of your time

TOYAH: Yes

PAT: What was it about that era?

TOYAH: The era was brilliant because I was dyslexic, so I didn't learn to read till I was 12. I'd lost a lot of education, being in hospital because I had lots of corrective surgery - which was another reason why my mother was so protective of me because she she had to teach me how to walk

She had to be with me quite a lot of the time as a child. I was born with a defect down the right side. I've forgotten the question now! I went off on a tangent

PAT: The whole question of the era

TOYAH: That's it! Punk! Now, the beauty of punk - I'm back with you now! The beauty of punk was that it said that if you've got something to express and something to say, every individual has the right to do that

And punk, to me, wasn't about spitting and being violent. It was about the blossoming and development of the individual. If you had a will, there was a way

PAT: You didn't have to have a secondary school A-level behind you to succeed in that particular world

TOYAH: Then you didn't. But I must admit, if I have any regrets, it was I didn't really take my education very seriously at all

PAT: You succeeded in spite of all of that. I mean, as an actress you've had successes, both on the screen and in the theater. And I know you're going into “Peter Pan”


TOYAH: I start “Peter Pan” next week with Frank Finlay

PAT: And you are playing?

TOYAH: “Peter Pan” (laughs) for five months (Chichester Festival Theatre - 16.12.1994 -7.1.1995 and National Tour 1995)

PAT: There's a dark side to “Peter Pan”, which you may explore of course, in the formation of the character

TOYAH: Oh, definitely. You've got to take into account “Peter Pan” is probably about 200 years old. The irony there is that you have the boy that never grows up, but he's been living for centuries so he's gained some kind of knowledge and wisdom, which I think makes him very powerful

PAT: I was going to ask you, looking back on it - besides the education thing, would you do everything again as you did, knowing what you know now?

TOYAH: That's such a big question. I would have worked harder. I kind of surfed on this big wave of fame and enjoyed it and didn't do my homework enough. I'd work a bit harder, I think

PAT: Yeah, but you enjoyed that surfing

TOYAH: (laughs) I am a very good surfer

PAT: You're married to Robert Fripp, but you don't see each other that often?

TOYAH: No. Robert lives and works mainly in America. We have a pact that we must see each other once a month. He breaks it often. We fly to wherever the other person is

PAT: Once a month?

TOYAH: Yes, occasionally

PAT: Why bother? (laughs)

TOYAH: Because he is the most perfect partner in the world for me

PAT: He proposed to you after how many days, months, years?

TOYAH: I'd known him for four days when he proposed (the audience laughs, Toyah laughs) The weird thing was my husband is as eccentric as I am. I turned up at his house to work with him, and he said “I know you're my wife. Will you marry me?”

I then discovered from his friends, three weeks before he met me he was telling everyone, “I'm about to meet my wife.” And people were going, “Who is it?” And he said “I don't know”


PAT: I take it he was ready for marriage at this stage?

TOYAH: I think he must have been ready for marriage. We've been together now 10 years, and it goes from strength to strength

PAT: It's an interesting arrangement, though, where you see each other infrequently. I presume passion is more easily renewed when you see each other seldom?

TOYAH: (laughs) Well, it is romantic. It certainly is romantic. We're two very insular people, and I think it works for us

PAT: You are, neither, interested in having children. Is that so?

TOYAH: I don't biologically want children, but I'm getting to the point where I could easily take 20 into the house. I'm getting that adoption fever

PAT: Yes, because you yourself decided that biologically, because of your genetic difficulty, as a child, that you didn't want to give this to another child?

TOYAH: It's not just that. There's enough children out there who need parents

PAT: And you're available?

TOYAH: I'm very available

PAT: You have to hide all those photographs of you, because they'd be doing that

TOYAH: What - dyeing their hair? Nothing wrong with that (laughs)

PAT: What about after "Peter Pan"? Have you got music that you can offer us on CD?

TOYAH: Yes, I've got a double album coming out in March called “Toyah Classics”. Half electric, half acoustic. There's another album coming out in the summer called “Eternity” so I'll be back on the road again. That's after I've toured “Peter Pan”. We're coming to Cork

PAT: Very good -

TOYAH: And Belfast. I can't remember the months - kind of spring. Then I'm turning it into a film

PAT: Really? So you're a busy woman for the next 12 months or so?

TOYAH: Kind of, yes

PAT: Excellent. I'm delighted that you dropped in to see us. Perhaps when you're on the road with the band again you'll come back?

TOYAH: Pleasure!

PAT: Toyah Willcox, thank you very much indeed

TOYAH: Thank you

Watch the interview HERE