TOYAH ON
BBC RADIO 2
WITH DERMOT O'LEARY
5.9.2015

DERMOT: It's time for an in-depth exploration into the minds and the memories of musicians from Smash Hits circa 82 to 86. Yes indeed, as we compare and contrast answers from circa 83 this week with ... Toyah Willcox! Hello, Toyah!

TOYAH: Hello! How are you doing?

DERMOT: Oh, Toyah! You sound exactly the same!

TOYAH: I should hope I do!

DERMOT: Oh, you'd be surprised! (Toyah laughs) A lot of the old gravellers sound very different now. How are you?

TOYAH: I'm really good, thank you. I'm glad I sound the same! The feel exactly the same. I just don't have pink hair anymore!

DERMOT: What are you up to at the moment? Are you touring right now?

TOYAH:  I've got a very exciting film out called "Aaaaaaaah!" which is just doing incredibly. It's got great reviews round the world and I am on tour. I'm constantly touring the whole year. Tomorrow I play a festival in Cottingham

If you want to come see me just look on toyahwillcox.com, all the the gigs are there. There's just too many to mention here and now

DERMOT: What's “Aaaaaaaah!” about?

TOYAH: “Aaaaaaaah!” it's team of comedians including Noel Fielding and myself – I'm not a comedian, I'm an an actress and a singer. It's a film that has no language, we just grunt and groan at each other but we're very normal people

We're dressed as human beings, we look like human beings and it's a very modern, very graphic, very insane love story (Toyah with the director Steve Oram, below)

DERMOT: Great!

TOYAH: It had it's first public showing in Piccadilly (Vue West End, London) last night and the audience were screaming!

DERMOT: Good stuff!

TOYAH: It was so funny!

DERMOT: Now then. Let's concentrate. Can you cast your mind back, can we get into 83 mode, please?

TOYAH: I tried to cheat and I couldn't find the interview on google! Forgive me!

DERMOT: No, I'm glad you admitted it! There's a very good reason why you couldn't find it. It's because we bought up all the albums from circa 82 to 86

TOYAH: That doesn't mean that I can't remember it. You've got to remember Neil Tenant from the Pet Shop Boys was the editor back then

DERMOT: Absolutely! So these are the annuals we bought. You must've done so many of these back in the day?

TOYAH: It was fabulous. I've got bookshelves full of Toyah annuals and Smash Hits annuals. It was fantastic! 

DERMOT: So can you remember - and this can be from now or then but can you remember the answer you gave to start with, from 1983 of your first ever memory?

TOYAH: My first ever memory would've been my mother putting a nappy on me but I doubt I told Smash Hits that …

DERMOT: (laughs) They were pretty good in their sort of investigative slant so I'd say maybe … No, first memory you told Smash Hits was "my first day at school. I never told what my school was" -

TOYAH: And I thought it was the only day I'd have to do

DERMOT: Oh, God! Yeah!

TOYAH: Yeah when my mum took me to school and I got home that day I said "thank God that's over! I hated it!"

DERMOT: It says down here – this is so harsh: “I never forgave her for it”

TOYAH: (laughs) Well, you know, sound bites

DERMOT: Yeah OK -

TOYAH: You can't go that deep!

DERMOT: Your first acting role?

TOYAH: Was in a play called "Glitter" with Noel Edmonds and Phil Daniels

DERMOT: That's true. I'll give you half a point for that because that's your first professional acting role

TOYAH: Well, I was always the donkey in the nativity

DERMOT: Wrong!

TOYAH: Wait a minute! Bottom in Midnight Summer's Dream?

DERMOT: I've got down donkey in the nativity play and then in a play called "Glitter" which was part of the Second City series on BBC2. Noel Edmonds and Phil Daniels. “I had to sing two songs in a band called Bilbo Baggins. I was terrible.” I sure you weren't!

TOYAH: I was a bit amateurish but I was asked to join the National Theatre as soon as it showed on the telly. So it did a lot of good and I never looked back 

DERMOT: You did alright, didn't you? Favourite time of the day in 1983?

TOYAH: The dawn

DERMOT: Still, now?

TOYAH: I love the dawn. I'm up with the light

DERMOT: There you go. You're done. She's on it. “I'm not a night person, I find it quite lonely”

TOYAH: I hate the dark. The winter's pretty tough

DERMOT: We're coming into that. So I'm feeling for you!

TOYAH: Thank you!

DERMOT: I don't know why they would ask you this in 1983 but see if you can remember? In 83 – the colour of your bedroom wall?

TOYAH: Ooh! That's not healthy! Well, back in 83 I had cloud wallpaper, so it was blue and white with white fluffy clouds

DERMOT: So good! I think you might be the best we've had!

TOYAH: Seriously?!

DERMOT: Yeah, most of the others are guys so our levels of expectations weren't overly high. You have absolutely knocked it out of the park. Lastly, we're just going to finish on this one – your favourite sandwich?

TOYAH: Tuna and sweetcorn?

DERMOT: Are you sure you haven't looked this up?!

TOYAH: No! But nothing's changed -

DERMOT: Is it still your favourite sandwich?

TOYAH: I still like tuna and sweetcorn

DERMOT: Tuna on brown bread. "When I'm not feeling diet conscious I like Marmite, cheese and peanut butter". Says Toyah!

TOYAH: Oh! Heaven!

DERMOT: Toyah, thank you so much for joining us today

TOYAH: Thank you! Have a great weekend!

DERMOT: Thank you! Good luck with the film, good luck with the dates as well!

TOYAH: Excellent!

DERMOT: Cheers Toyah! By bye!

TOYAH: Bye!

The original Q & A, Smash Hits, March 3-16 1983