THINK of Toyah Willcox and “housewife” isn’t a word that immediately springs to mind – punk princess, yes, award-winning actress, certainly – but she’s currently relishing the role as she plays one of the eponymous Hormonal Housewives of Julie Coombe and John McIsaac’s hugely successful show, which arrives at The Courtyard in Hereford on Wednesday, May 15.
“I took the part because it’s a very funny script and I adore doing comedy,” she says. “Before this the only comedy I’d done was Shakespeare and Arthur Smith, which is very different.
It’s a genre I really love, and this show delivers a laugh at least every five lines. It’s one of the most outrageous pieces of theatre, very very naughty, but with a big smile on its face.”
The naughtiness, she goes on to explain, comes not from a plethora of swearing, more from an anatomical (in every sense of the word) exploration of what it is to be a woman.
“Women really love that we identify with the things they’re thinking about but rarely talk about. We talk about PMS, sex, sexual frustration, sex in old age, irritating teenagers and competitive mums at the school gate. We cover all taboos.
“It’s a very fast moving, pacy show, and it goes very quickly for me,” she says.
“Each week seems like a day, each show feels like five minutes. But it’s never the same because every town is culturally different and the laughs will come in different places. Most venues have a surprise for us as performers.
“It means that we are continually awake and on our toes – it’s not predictable at all. We just get out there and do what we have rehearsed,” she says. “With comedy there is no point in thinking ahead. You live for the moment.
Toyah is keen to emphasise that Hormonal Housewives “is not anti-men, not feminist or political. For every 900 women there’ll be six men – eccentric, brave and able not to be too embarassed. They do stand out, but we make a point of including them”.
Online comments from men who have seen the show suggest that it’s well worth overcoming any possible embarrasment for the prospect of a laugh-outloud- and-often evening.
The tour has not been without drama for Toyah, who missed a show in Brighton when freak weather brought the M23 to a standstill. “I was 11 miles from Brighton and suddenly three inches of ice and snow compacted around the tyres. It was an incredibly difficult situation and no one could get to us.”
Coincidentally, as she sat stranded in the snow, she had a text from former band member, Saxons’ drummer Nigel Glockler, whose wife was on her way to see the show. It turned out that he was about 500 yards up the road and kept in touch throughout the 14 hour ordeal by text. Having had a similar experience before, Toyah was well equipped.
“I’m a really fussy eater, so I had food, water and I even had a blanket, so it wasn’t terrible. But it was heartbreaking missing the show.”
Toyah admits to having a favourite moment in Hormonal Housewives, but beyond saying that it focuses on women and the gym, she won’t be drawn, not wanting to kill a punchline.
“The audience love it – they just get it.”
It remains to be seen what a Hereford audience will be like, but it’s one that Toyah is particularly looking forward to. “It’s a nice local one” – her home is in Worcestershire – “and the first show where I’ve got my closest friends coming.”
To book, call the box office on 01432 340555
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