FEBRUARY 2012

HELLO THERE!

Oh Boy! I've had a fantastic start to 2012. Not only have I had my first proper holiday since 2001! It was also my second honeymoon!

Sweetpea……….AKA Robert Fripp………AKA Mr. Willcox took me on honeymoon. In 1986 I took him on honeymoon, well it was 5 days dodging journalists and photographers in high speed car chases around the country lanes of Dorset and Cornwall. Our second honeymoon was a lot more joyous and exciting.

On the 4th jan we flew into Chicago, missed out connection and had a really fabulous night in the airport Hilton watching a soccer game with the locals sipping the most expensive margarita in the world…………30$!!!!!!! Robert can be very pessimistic if out of his comfort zone but even he had a smile on face after the margarita hit. 7am the next day we hitched a flight to Portland then got a boneshaker to Seattle where ……………..WE SAW BILL RIEFLIN!

I'm telling you there are three people in this marriage. Sweetpea, Bill and ME! No actually there are four…….Sweetpea, Bill, Me AND BUNNY. But bunny couldn't come too. Before tongues wag Bill and Robert are inseparable…I tag along like the "just tolerated and besotted little sister, irritating the sh*t out of one and all". We had four days playing with Bill before he had to leave for Mexico to work with Peter Buck and Robyn Hitchcock. I am not a drinker but we ended up in a fabulous Japanese restaurant, which had a " Happy Hour" that started at 10 am and finished at 7pm. We were the only ones in there. This is where I discovered pear Vodka. Bill hates me having a drink! Robert loathes me having a drink! Because I become morbidly HAPPY!

Bill still curses me for having a margarita after the New York HUMANS show in September, when I followed him around the venue laughing and being quite generally obscene. "GOD YOU'RE A F------ AWFUL DRUNK! YOU IDIOT." Quote.

This is because when he stopped listening to me I started to speed dial him on his mobile all through the night laughing! Bill was not amused but at the time Wongy was hugely amused. Robert hates me drinking because he can no longer control me. SOOOOOOOOOOOO………….. I discovered Pear Vodka in a Japanese restaurant in Seattle with the two men I'd happily die for. I hasten to add I sat on my hands so I couldn't annoy them as much as I would have if my hands where free to wander and I buttoned my lip so as not to lose my two best friends and I sat in the corner laughing at everything they said blissfully unaware if either had actually said anything funny. We had four joyous days together.

Robert and I stayed on a further two days and we walked Seattle from top to bottom. I did some great writing there and geared up to start writing HUMANS 3. Bill comes into the UK on the 14th March when we have our focused writing session before recording. After Seattle we flew to Las Vegas. I have never been to LV and have always wanted to go. Envying Robert every time he flew off there. Robert warned me you only need three days there, I couldn't comprehend why……..until……………. we got there………………….

THE NOISE, THE SMOKE, THE DULL ELECTRIC LIGHT, THE TINTED WINDOWS, THE AIR CONDITIONING, THE IQs, CYNICISM MASQUAERADING AS HAPPINESS, THE PORTION SIZES, THE MOUSTURELESS AIR………………shall I go on?

We had six days there! We were prisoners of our own dreams and we had to make the most of it! The highlights were the shows. KA……..utterly mind blowing. From the purpose built theatre to the magnificent performers…astounding!

LA REVE….THE DREAM…….i never knew a theatre show could be done in a massive pool of water. The guts of the performers as they dropped from what must have been about 60 feet into a 30 foot width of water……WOW! And "O', again simply breath taking and truly worth being in Vegas for. One performer actually dived from about 90ft into a pool. I screamed out loud! I have always loved physical theatre and only in my fantasies have I envisaged life-defying performances and here in Vegas they are actually doing this twice a day.

We were very lucky to get tickets to see Celine Dion. Robert's sister Patricia, lives in Las Vegas and she treated us to both "O" and Celine. Again Celine's show was staggering, beyond the "world class" we all expect from an arena show. Las Vegas venues are around 2000 to 4000 capacity so intimacy is still possible and Celine was magnificent. How anyone can sing in the air one gets in LV is a miracle, but she was singing for real and it was awesome! Patricia took us out on the Sunday to the mountains near her home and this was one of the best days we had. The magnificent scale and the colour of the rock, we walked with joy in our hearts to be out of maze of Vegas. I've had two offers to work in Vegas this year. I imagine to work there is very exciting and I certainly wont say "no"……..but I will go in for three days and out again! The main reason to protect my voice from the dry air. Dear Dave Lee passed away whilst we were away. I have done 3 pantomimes with Dave in Canterbury and numerous fund raisings for his Happy Holidays Charity. Dave, a very deserving MBE holder, had the most moving send off in Canterbury Cathedral. There were thousands there. The readings were inspirational and totally indifferent to the surroundings. Richard Digance started off with " What I love about the day Dave passed away is 49 Little Chefs closed down!" Dave was a larger than life man.

Bobby Davro finished with……." Dave and I have worked together many times, I remember when he was sweating like a glass blowers anus……………' The cathedral roared with laughter and applause all the way through but the real tear jerker happened when the Dean carried Dave's Ghostbuster bench into the aisle and the choristers sang GhostBusters…………a Dave Lee panto staple! Dave raised thousands of pounds for under privileged children to have holidays with their families " Dave Lee's Happy Holidays". I am truly humbled by all he achieved. What a great man.

Work wise there is so much happening. We are already gearing up for the tour in April. The songs are chosen, the set list discussed, the learning process started and the costume design in motion. But also I've had some really interesting offers. One is to participate in an animation series of Sonia Copland Blooms children's books which are topping the best seller list at the National History Museum. (Sonia is Orlando Bloom's mum.)

I've walked myself happily into a corner by mentioning a short story I was writing to my acting agent who now wants it as a script by May……..heaven help us both……..deadlines are not my forte.

AND a documentary is going to be made this year by Ali Carron one of the original ANGEL AND DEMONS, about 1983 and the "Angels and demons" who congregated outside the Mermaid theatre when I was appearing in Trafford Tanzi. So we will be posting an appeal soon for anyone there that year to get in touch with Ali if they are willing to be in the documentary.

I already know where I will be for Christmas and the autumn is looking fully booked too…………ALREADY!

Have a great month. Keep warm and…………………..

BE PROUD, BE LOUD, BE HEARD!

LOVE TOYAH XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX