TOYAH ON
TISWAS
ATV
14.3.1981

HOST SALLY JAMES: Hello and a special welcome on this extremely chaotic morning to Toyah. Hello, Toyah!

TOYAH: Hello

SALLY: I apologize for all the noise and bedlam going on over there

TOYAH: Oh, it's wonderful

SALLY: You have such an interesting career, Toyah, because you're in the charts at the moment with -

TOYAH: Surprisingly with “It's A Mystery”, yeah

SALLY: And you also very highly recognised as an actress. How do you manage to combine the two careers?

TOYAH: I don't (laughs) I just sort of try and do as much as possible. I divide my year half and half. Half acting, half singing. Simple as that

SALLY: Is there one side that you enjoy more than the other?

TOYAH: The acting I find easier to do. The music side, there's a big strain on you. It's much more of a strain

SALLY: You started off on the acting side, didn't you?

TOYAH: Oh, yeah, (puts on a posh voice) National Theatre

SALLY: Did you sort of fall into the music thing by accident?


TOYAH: No, I always intended from about the age of nine to become like Mark Bolan or David Bowie in my own right. Yeah, I was one of those star struck kiddies

SALLY: You always knew that you were going to be an entertainer?

TOYAH: Oh, I hoped I would've been, yeah

SALLY: It's very difficult, isn't it, in this business. People do tend to pigeonhole you and you're either an actress or a singer or a presenter or whatever. It's very difficult to be accepted on more than one level. How do you think you've managed to crack that?

TOYAH: I don't really think I'm accepted for all three. I've got certain critics that love my acting, certain critics that hate my music, and certain critics that hate my presenting. I've just kept them separate

I wouldn't want to do something like a major rock movie, because I'd have to be myself then and I'm trying not to be myself. I'm trying to act

SALLY: Do you think it might get to the stage where you are going have to channel yourself more into one of the three areas?

TOYAH: Yes, I do, but I'm fighting it

SALLY: Let's talk about the musical side, because that's going extremely well. You're in the studio doing an album at the moment I gather

TOYAH: Yes

SALLY: And you're planning quite an exciting tour?

TOYAH: We've got a world tour coming up, and we'll be in England for May and June. We're playing bigger venues because we want the young kids to get in. The old tour sold out and a lot of people were turned away

But also, I'm making movies, like videos, that I want to show behind the band. So it's a very sort of 3D show. Everyone will be satisfied. The people at the back will be satisfied and the people at the front will be satisfied

SALLY: You're starting work on that now?

TOYAH: Yes, I'm hoping it will work


SALLY: The other thing that always causes a lot of interest about you is the fashion. Can you stand up so people can see this great outfit that you're wearing (Toyah stands up)

Also, of course, the terrific hair and coloring and makeup and everything. Do you devise the way you look yourself, or do you have designers and people that help you?

TOYAH: I've got a designer called Melissa Caplan who's very well known in London. She's my major influence on fashion. She's wonderful. And there's another man - I wear his day clothes and he's called Willie Brown. I call them cubist designers because they just do these bizarre clothes that you wouldn't see people in the street wearing 

SALLY: I don't think you would (Toyah laughs) What about the makeup and hair? I mean, you shaved your head once, didn't you?

TOYAH: I shaved it for a movie where I had to play this sort of revolutionary, this pyromaniac that went round setting fire to everything ("Mad" in "Jubilee" 1978). So I shaved my head for that but …

(To somebody our of shot) Shut your face. But otherwise I like my hair to change color under lights. Yellow and red are usually pretty good. They turn into amazing electric blues

SALLY: Well, you look terrific today. I actually hate to have to do this to you, Toyah, but it's a special request on behalf of your dad (slams a cream pie in Toyah's face) Sorry about this. I'm sorry but her dad said to do it to her!

Watch the interview HERE