TOYAH ON
BBC1 BREAKFAST TIME
WITH SELINA SCOTT,
FRANK BOUGH AND
RUSSELL GRANT
28.3.1983

SELINA SCOTT: She has a demanding role which has required her to learn wrestling and as if acting wasn't enough she has her own rock band called Toyah, and many chart successes to her credit 

A clip from the Ulster Hall 8.4.1981 gig plays

SELINA: Strange looking back at three years ago

TOYAH: Cor, a chubby thing

SELINA: You're not

TOYAH: (That was) wonderful. That was in Ireland (below). Great audience. Later that night I fell in into the audience and they ripped my costume to pieces. It was one of my favorite costumes as well

SELINA: Oh, surely you had something left underneath?

TOYAH: Oh, yeah, a sort of dress but they nicked the best bit of it, which is the painted part

SELINA: You're the girl that Terry Wogan has described as "looking like an unmade bed"

TOYAH: Apparently that's supposed to be a compliment

SELINA: Was it?

TOYAH: But my mum's after him for that. That really upsets her

SELINA: These men pass around comments about girls getting up in the morning looking the way they do and really they have no right, have they?

TOYAH: Oh, no. Not at all

FRANK BOUGH: My mum is also after Terry Wogan, who's said nasty things about me

SELINA: What has he said?

FRANK: I can't remember, but he's always knocking me

TOYAH: We should form a society. "Rock Against Wogan" (laughs)

SELINA: I'd love the cameras to pick up the back of your hair because it's fascinating. It looks like little weasel tails, doesn't it? Look!

TOYAH: It's supposed to be like animal skin

SELINA: Why did you go and have that done?

TOYAH: Well, one of my hairdressers called Robert Lobetta was nagging me to grow my natural color back, which is black. One of the only ways to introduce my natural coloring is putting it in the ends as well, so it won't look too bad when the roots grow back

But another reason is it's very animalistic and the part I'm playing at the moment, "Trafford Tanzi", is quite aggressive. I thought it'd be nice if, while she's flying through the air and fighting men, the hair looks like an animal as well. I'm trying to introduce that instinct into the play

SELINA: Do you find that many children follow your style to the letter and will go out and get their hairdressers to do that?

TOYAH: Not so much children because I always advise that young kids should not go about dying their hair. It's not good for you, really. But a lot of teenagers, say, from about 15 upwards kind of copy me

But I think you should create your own look because this is part of my personality. This is part of me. It's not a contrived thing at all


SELINA: But you have a tremendous following and also therefore a tremendous responsibility to the teenagers who are copying you

TOYAH: I'd never encourage anybody to damage themselves in any way. This machine is so important to us all and we must love and respect it

SELINA: OK, Toyah, we'll come back to you. We're going to talk about your new “Trafford Tanzi” play

FRANK: Can I ask you - don't you get doors shut in your face when you appear in places looking like that? You say you don't dye your hair. You once changed your hairstyle and coloring every day for a week. Do some people say "go away, you can't come in here"

TOYAH: Not so much in England. In foreign countries I've actually had harassment from the police because of the way I look. They just think I'm up to no good, which is quite frightening when you're in a country where you can't talk the language and heavies with guns drag you away at an airport. It terrified (me) It's usually because of the way I look

FRANK: You should wear a suit like me. Nobody harrasses me

Later in the programme

SELINA: Toyah Willcox is our guest of the day and she's been listening to you (astrologer RUSSELL GRANT) with rapt attention, haven't you?

TOYAH: Oh, yeah

SELINA: Do you believe the things that Russell says?

TOYAH: Oh, yes but most days I don't even read a horoscope in case it's bad, (then) I'll believe it's bad and things like that

SELINA: Can you guess Toyah's birth sign?

RUSSELL: Well, Taurus – Toyah Taurus! Now that was a faux pas. But it wasn't, actually. I always think that Toyah reminds me of a lump of wholemeal bread

TOYAH: (sarcastically) Nice!

RUSSELL: Well, it is. Secure, a mouthful is all you need because it fills you up. There is this wonderful earthiness about you. So there's no doubt it's Taurus as far as I'm concerned


SELINA: Is that right?

TOYAH: It is

RUSSELL: The security factor, I believe, is important to you simply because there is a need to have that security around you. Do you find that? Especially on material things?

TOYAH: Yes, I find that within this profession I'm in you need the security of knowing that you've got work the next day. I find that's very important. As for emotional security ... I'm quite a jealous person

RUSSELL: It can be a possessive sign

TOYAH: (I have a) terrible temper when it goes. I am definitely the bull in the china shop

FRANK: You hit the nail on the head when you talked about having energetic - I mean, she is an immensely energetic lady

RUSSELL: (There's) a very tremendous amount of power as Taurus. It can go on. It's like a marathon runner of the zodiac. And it's very sensual. It loves to touch (and be) tactile

Very often its relationships are just touching someone without anything else. There is this need to be very close to people. And the loyalty factor -that must be important to you?

TOYAH: Oh yes, I am loyal but I haven't noticed I need to touch people

RUSSELL: The last two and a half years have been a very important transforming time, in fact. Now, Toyah, over the next year you can do your own thing

But I would suggest that come 1984-85 when Saturn begins to oppose your your sun sign, it's a very, very good time then to live off of what you have been doing. So I would build now for 1984-85

SELINA: Yes, I was going to say let's take a look at Toyah acting. She's currently starring in “Trafford Tanzi” at London's Mermaid Theatre

But as though acting isn't demanding enough, she also has her own rock band Toyah and many chart successes to her credit. And here she is now

A selection of music clips play

SELINA: I wonder why you bother acting when you can sing like that


TOYAH: Oh, acting fulfills the soul

SELINA: Does it?

TOYAH: So does music ... I suppose (laughs) I'm just greedy

SELINA: But everyone there was looking at you, reacting with you, being with you

TOYAH: The audiences can be so wonderful. I spark off the audience. I get my energy from the audience reaction

SELINA: What kind of age groups are you talking about?

TOYAH: Everybody. I mean we get we get kids about five. We even had a guy called Raymond who followed us around, who must have been quite near 40. He was quite stunning. They all bop along in the audience. It's lovely to see people enjoying themselves. The atmosphere is great

SELINA: I was wondering if you belong more to the punk cult looking at your hair and your dress and everything

TOYAH: Not really, not anymore. I started off in that field. Punks are very proud people and their music is quite political. My music is based in fantasy, really, and my politics are quite bizarre and quite naive. So I'm not really a serious punk person

SELINA: You just sound so mature too, don't you? (Toyah laughs) We'll come back to you later on

Later in the programme

FRANK: Toyah has been performing prodigious feats of strength on the stage and here in the studio. Hey, show us your muscles

TOYAH: Oh, my mum will kill me. This is what's happened to me in two weeks (rolls up her sleeve and shows her arm muscles)

SELINA: Oh! How did you get that?

TOYAH: Picking up men (laughs)

FRANK: I told you if you said that the press would say "Toyah Willcox picks up men". That's what they do

TOYAH: Right. Right on


FRANK: It must be making you feel terrifically well

TOYAH: Very well indeed

FRANK: I have a vague memory of days when I was fit. You do feel much better

TOYAH: Oh, yeah. I must say the whole cast have been through what I've been through. They're wonderful people to work with. I enjoy it so much. I never like to leave the theatre each night because they're such great people

SELINA: But do they enjoy being jumped on by you? 

TOYAH: We jump on each other. It's wonderful. It's such a good play. It's a brilliant play

FRANK: Does it all take place in the wrestling ring?

TOYAH: Yes, in the round (ring) so that you're surrounded by the audience. But the play carries itself. It's so exciting. It's for the whole family, really. The language is a bit strong here or there -

FRANK: But what does it say? I mean it's a curious allegory, isn't it? To use a wrestling ring?

TOYAH: Well, for me it's about a woman who's so gullible she's taken in by her husband. The husband's having an affair with her best friend and she turns around and says "why should I take this? I'll get you back at your own game"

He's a wrestler so get I him back by wrestling him. Not through strength but through speed and being quick with the brains

FRANK: There's argument wrestling -

TOYAH: She wins. She catches him out because she's quick and he can't get hold of her, as it were

FRANK: You're a very articulate lady and you've packed a tremendous amount into your life so far. You're 24, no more than that. Is that a bit like you? I mean are you argumentative and determined to say things and have a strong point of view about anything?

TOYAH: Only when I'm being used. I hate being used and I hate being lied to. The profession is still a very male profession. The one thing I won't take is having wool pulled over my eyes. I'm not so much argumentative. I stick up for myself rather than remain silent

FRANK: You don't trust people too much, do you?

TOYAH: Oh, I do. I do. But once lied to ... then I don't trust people

Watch the interview HERE