This is the Large Text version of this page. For the full version of this page with graphics, click here.
TOYAH WILLCOX
Although Toyah is best known for her outstanding work in music, theatre and television, what many people don't know is that she is also a really enthusiastic supporter of our Woolwich Young Radio Playwrights' Competition. In spite of her hectic schedule, she always somehow manages to make time to read the young writers' plays, take part in the judging sessions and even attend the awards ceremonies in London. If her work takes her away from London, she still likes to be involved in the judging process, even if it means reading the plays while travelling, and phoning through her comments while on the move! Her enthusiastic support and positive attitude to the work of the young writers is a great inspiration to everybody involved in the competition. She has also starred in a couple of the winning plays: The Tragic Roundabout by Fenella Gollner, and with Aden Gillett in Roots by Celia Brown.
Toyah trained at the Old Rep Drama School in her home town of Birmingham.
Her repertory credits include playing Hermia in A Midsummer Night's Dream with Birmingham Rep; The Choice and Memoirs of a Survivor at Salisbury Playhouse; Dora Carrington in Carrington at Chichester Festival Theatre and most recently Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing at the Ludlow Festival.
In London she has twice appeared at the National Theatre, playing Emma in Tales From Vienna Woods and Mary Lou in Whale. She has also appeared in Sugar 'N' Spice at the Royal Court and as Puck in A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Open Air Theatre in Regent's Park. In the West End she appeared in Trafford Tanzi at the Mermaid Theatre, played Sally Bowles in Cabaret at the Strand Theatre, Mabel in Three Men on a Horse at the Vaudeville Theatre and Kate in Taming of the Shrew at the Cambridge Theatre.
On tour, Toyah has enjoyed enormous success playing the title role in Peter Pan as well as No.1 tours of Amadeus and Cheap Thrills.
Her television work is extensive and includes Glitter, Shoestring, Little Girls Don't, Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde, Look Here and Toyah - a Documentary, all for the BBC. For Granada she played Gigi in Maigret and the Hotel Majestic and she played opposite Laurence Olivier in the acclaimed Ebony Tower. Other credits include Function Room 'Movie Queen' for HTV, Dialta Downes in Tomorrow Calling, the Dog in The Ink Thief, Tales of the Unexpected for Anglia, A Tale of Pig Robinson for Dreamscape and most recently Deborah Drake in Kavanagh QC for Carlton.
On film Toyah has twice worked with Derek Jarman, as Mad in Jubilee and Miranda in The Tempest, for which she was nominated for Best Newcomer at the Evening Standard Awards. Other film credits include The Corn is Green, Quadrophenia, The Anchoress, Midnight Breaks and Julie and The Cadillacs.
Toyah's music career spans 13 top 40 singles and 15 solo albums, the first two of which, Sheep Farming in Barnet and Blue Meaning, became seminal to the gothic movement. She dominated the Music Polls between 1979 and 1983 and won Best Female Singer in the 1982 Rock and Pop Awards.
Toyah also presents TV programmes such as Fasten Your Seatbelts, Holiday, Watchdog Healthcheck, Into the Music and Weekend Review.