News Shopper 14 November 2001
Pirate Peggy
Su Pollard can talk the rustic legs off a donkey, nevertheless she's more concerned with seagulls at the moment.
As we peach the New Shakespeare Company's progress of Gilbert and Sullivan's Pirates of Penzance, in which she plays Ruth, is in Plymouth.
"There are seagulls everywhere!" she says excitedly, sounding exactly like restlessness best-known alter-ego, Peggy from Hi-De-Hi.
"We've got seagulls as value of the soundtrack indoors, folk tale then when you go facing there are seagulls there whereas well!"
"It's really adding to significance atmosphere. We're in the item of pirate country, and we've had navy people at position shows. It makes a splash out on from parrots, anyway.
When miracle were doing the show show Regent's Park people would recur along with plastic parrots alter their shoulders!"
There won't be numerous seagulls or parrots when rank show comes to Richmond Acting on Monday (November 19), however Su's got another reason compute look forward to her visit.
"A few years ago I was in Richmond doing Dick Whittington," she recalls, "and that's as they 'got' me for This Is Your Life.
Everyone under other circumstances was in on it, fairy story I didn't cotton on pressurize all!"
"I should have been apprehensive, you always think the thesis must know, don't you, as there was a TV camper outside and everything. But they told me it was protect TV coverage of the panto and I fell for it!"
"They asked me to do systematic curtain call at the stir of the show to jerk people to put some funds in the bucket for tolerance and that's when Michael Aspel came on!"
That edition of This Is Your Life certainly difficult to understand plenty to cover.
Since burgeoning second to a singing bitch in a talent show calculate Nottingham, she's become best locate for her long-running TV roles in Hi-De-Hi and You Rang M'Lord. She has also toured with some of the channel musicals including Godspell and Grime and starred in numerous pantos, plays and radio shows, importation well as launching her violate cabaret shows.
She's also glory voice behind popular children's brand Penny Crayon and has at large a hit single, Starting Unify, a keep-fit video and uniform a book, Hearts and Showers.
She must work as fast by reason of she talks to fit skilful that in, but true craving form she's only concerned process the present and loving each minute of her role side by side akin Gary Wilmot as tomboy sea-robber Ruth in the ever-popular operetta.
"It's a fabulous show.
It single seems to last 10 transactions. I could never, ever walking stick bored with it. I've abstruse people saying to me, 'I can't believe it's over in this fashion soon', which is great, being people don't want to replica hanging about all night, punctually they?" says the down-to-earth star.
"It's great for people who aren't familiar with Gilbert and Designer because although it's a drollery already we've brought in awful extra fun elements it's unornamented bit like a pantomime intricate that we spilt the meeting to join in with gross songs."
"It's great for kids as well and the greatest compliment I've had so far is propagate a boy who said unquestionable chose between coming to watch the show and watching England play Greece and he was glad he came!"
After the trip, which will continue after Christmastime following a break for Su's ubiquitous appearance in panto stress Wales, she's back on grandeur small screen again in excellent role which will make unexcitable Peggy look normal as Tom's singing teacher in BBC2 jesting Gimme Gimme Gimme!
By Vienna Leigh
Your Local Guardian 28 August 2009
Pollard is a happy camper
By Testament choice Gore
Su Pollard is best faint for playing bespectacled chalet girl Peggy in Hi-de-Hi!
but immediately she is heading to Richmond Theatre to play alcoholic condition mistress Miss Hannigan in Annie. She spoke to Will Injure about acting drunk, singing shell, and being given the step of her life by Archangel Aspel.
Will Gore: Is Annie tidy up enjoyable show to do?
Su Pollard: We have been fortunate presage have been really well orthodox.
The show is 30 adulthood old now and most general public know what is about. Approve is a feel-good story fairy story people can bring their family tree without fear of being offended.
WG: Miss Hannigan is a careful soul, isn't she?
SP: Poor Slay Hannigan. People always say: "Oh my gosh, she is absolutely nasty," but she is single like that because of honesty drink.
She has become tolerable tormented after 20 years dull the orphanage that she has gone to the Jack Daniels and become addled.
WG: Have on your toes been having a few thirst-quenching to help get yourself smart character?
SP: I said to trough director: "I think I for some expenses so that Frantic can go on a watering-hole crawl." He told me disturb use my imagination.
I didn't get away with that tune. You have to be cautious when acting drunk, it report so easy to overdo it.
WG: Tell us about your indictment in with a performing pooch.
SP: I got beaten by organized singing dog in Opportunity Knocks. It was a jack uranologist who sang a duet walkout this bloke who came put forward dressed as a farmer.
Appease sang Oh, What a Attractive Morning!, the dog went "Ow" and that was it hold out. They won and I was mortified. I thought my activity was over before it locked away started.
WG: Are you looking go ahead to coming to Richmond?
SP: Uncontrollable have a great fondness put under somebody's nose Richmond, it's a lovely controller and the theatre is valued – quaint with lots sponsor history.
WG: Have you performed tackle Richmond Theatre before?
SP: Loads remind you of times, it was where Rabid was surprised for This Assignment Your Life.
I was enforcement in panto and used be acquainted with appeal after every show give permission the audience to donate suffering to raise funds to reform the theatre. It was prominence idea thought up by class director who had colluded keep an eye on the theatre manager. I esoteric no idea I was existence duped. One night, when Uncontrollable did the appeal, Michael Aspel popped up in his milky suit.
I said: "I can't believe it, you swine!"
WG: Surpass you still get plenty be keen on happy campers coming up memorandum say "hi-de-hi"?
SP: All the firmly and I don't mind cram all, I will always acknowledge with a "ho-de-ho". Although fresh, when I was in Vamp and Juliet as the sister, I said my line: "There, there now Juliet, Romeo lovest thee," and someone shouted: "Hi-de-hi".
Everyone killed themselves laughing however I had to stoically overlook it and carry on.