Su puts a record straight 

Su Pollard (pictured) helped set audience records when she starred at the Forum Theatre in Billingham a year ago in Annie.

Now she is back again with the show for the week from Tuesday and out to prove it is every bit as good.

"It's my third tour with Annie and I'm having a fabulous time. It's a pleasure to go to work," says the friendly and effervescent actress.

"It's a world renowned musical which sells itself. It doesn't have to have famous people in it, though our production does and it's nice to know that all the family can come out to see it without any untowardness.

"It's marvellous to see their happy, smiling faces - though I can't see them because I don't my wear glasses in it," she adds confusingly.

"I know they're happy and smiling because I see them at the stage door when I am wearing glasses and they're happy and smiling then."

Su (pictured right) plays the tyrannical Miss Hannigan, the baddie of the piece, and has never done any other part in Annie. In fact, she has never been asked to do any other part.

She was first approached to take on the role years ago and finally agreed after three requests by the producers.

"When it first started, I was too busy doing a lot of Hi de Hi and when they asked again I still said 'No' and thought 'That's the last I will hear about that.'

"To be honest I was probably too young to do it then," says Su, now 54. "You need to have that bit of weight about you, not physical weight, but she's feisty and people have to believe in you."

They certainly do, fans and critics alike. Su has another reason for loving the role - she can get ready so quickly.

"I just stick on this dreadful wig that makes me look like Worzel Gummidge or worse, and can do my make-up in five minutes.

"Poor Louise English (another cast member) has to have her hair in rollers for four hours before the show."

Miss Hannigan spends a lot of time at the whisky. "It's not real. It's a Jack Daniels bottle full of tea or coke," explains Su.

"Diet Coke is all right but it's the wrong colour and too sweet. Cold tea is the right colour but it tastes horrible. I've had to get used to it."

She has to drink an awful lot during each performance and this has an inevitable effect. "At the end of the show, I've found myself having to go to the bathroom several times more than I normally would, but it keeps you going and nicely attuned inside," she confides.

Su was also at the Forum in the spring in the new spirit world comedy, A Happy Medium. "We are hoping to do it worldwide and hoping to take it to Australia," she reveals.

"They have done a few rewrites and I've had a few discussions with them. I brought some ideas of my own and I think next time it will be a more thorough production. Everybody had a ball doing it - oh ball, crystal ball, no pun intended."

Annie is likely to come round one more time and Su would be happy to be part of it. In the meantime, she is off to Australia.

"I'm going to stay with my friend Ray Meagher who is Alf in Home And Away and do a bit of TV. Hi de Hi is getting another airing and I have to do trailers and chat shows."

This coming week the production plays at the Forum theatre in Billingham.

The story of Annie, the ginger-haired 11-year-old orphan who has spent a miserable childhood in a New York orphanage at the mercy of the whisky loving mean-tempered matron Miss Hannigan, is one of the best loved musicals of all time.

Starring the irrepressible Su Pollard as the Jack Daniels soaked Miss Hannigan in a role which she relishes and has received great acclaim for. Ms Pollard is probably still best known as Peggy in Hi-De-Hi, but she is also a highly talented and versatile actress with numerous television and stage credits.

Joining Su are James Smillie as Daddy Warbucks and Louise English (star of film and stage including Bugsy Malone and Me And My Girl).

Annie features all the classics songs including Tomorrow, It's A Hard Knock Life, You're Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile.

Please visit SuOnline's dedicated Annie section for a review of the Eastbourne show.

Eastbourne Today - Annie returns to The Congress

The story of Annie, the ginger-haired 11-year-old orphan who has spent a miserable childhood in a New York orphanage at the mercy of the whisky loving mean-tempered matron Miss Hannigan, is one of the best loved musicals of all time.

Starring the irrepressible Su Pollard as the Jack Daniels soaked Miss Hannigan in a role which she relishes and has received great acclaim for. Ms Pollard is probably still best known as Peggy in Hi-De-Hi, but she is also a highly talented and versatile actress with numerous television and stage credits.

Joining Su are James Smillie as Daddy Warbucks and Louise English (star of film and stage including Bugsy Malone and Me And My Girl).

Annie the musical was written by Thomas Meehan, with music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Martin Charnin. 

This production of Annie is directed by Chris Colby, choreographed by David Kort and produced by Chris Moreno Ltd. 

Get the Meaning - Gut the Gameshow. 
Su Pollard hosts an anarchic look at television gameshows.

Su Pollard has gone from being Hi-De-Hi's loveable cleaner Peggy to voicing Noisy in children's series Little Robots. 

During a break between rehearsals for Annie, she reeled off her busy schedule.

She said: "After this, I'm going off to do presenting on Australia's arm of the BBC. Then I'm doing a new series of Little Robots and another comedy tour.

"The big thing is a new sitcom about a private detective agency. I play a Miss Marple-type character."

Su said many of today's sitcoms "bore me to death".

She said: "I miss the quality of the work on Hi-De-Hi. It seems very difficult for anybody to come up with anything original.

"But this detective one should be good. It will put a twist on Inspector Morse and Frost."

Su said she was happy to try any television challenge - except a reality show.

"If there's one thing I won't do, it's I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!. I'm never going to eat slugs in the jungle."

Next week sees Annie at the Congress Theatre in Eastbourne. Don't miss it if you are there.

SuOnline's dedicated Annie section has been updated today with another three reviews of the show. This time from Nottingham and Hull.

The DVD features the Complete Series One, and it’s full steam ahead for the inclusion of a bonus documentary about the Severn Valley Railway. 

A must for any fan of Su, or even gentle but hilarious comedy.

Visitors to the Official Su Pollard website are able to place  orders for discounted copies from Stationmaster Bartholomew: Email - carolyn.bartholomew@bbc.co.uk 

Don't forget that there will be further Su related DVD releases in 2005.

As well as the third Hi-De-Hi! set, we can also look forward to You Rang, M'Lord on DVD for the first time.

The photograph was sent to SuOnline by Rosina Andrews. Rosina and Su are joined by the rest of the Myra Tiffin Performing Arts school, who played the orphans at the Milton Keynes Theatre.

Su is this week in Norwich this week with Annie, at the Theatre Royal. 

The final performances are today. The show moves to Su's home town, Nottingham, next week, playing at the Theatre Royal.

Thank you to Rosina for the picture. Please click on it to visit SuOnline's Annie section.