Comedy actress Su Pollard returns to her home city to star in the Broadway classic Annie. Su's long and successful career began as a singer in the working men's clubs of Nottingham at the age of 16.

Read the full, interesting, Su interview at 'City Life' here.

NB: This interview has been syndicated to numerous other publications.

The RRP is £29.99 but many online retailers are offering big discounts. If you shop around you can find this fantastic DVD set for under £18!!

She should be available on the NHS.

After a chat with Su Pollard, it’s impossible not to feel anything other than thoroughly cheered up - the former Hi-de-HI star is bubblier than a room full of jacuzzis.

Her performance as the scatty and lovable Peggy in the hugely popular BBC sitcom made her a household name but she’s looking forward to showing off her mean side at the Lowry later this month.

Su is playing Miss Hannigan, the drunken old crow who runs the orphanage in the musical Annie.

“I know she’s not considered the most nice minded character in tthe world but it’s something you can really get your teeth into. I said to the director, you know because she’s always drunk, I think I need to go and research my role. Can I have some money on expenses, to go out on a bender? It was just a bit of fun,” she jokes.

While it’s tempting to think of Miss Hannigan purely as an ogre in a skirt who rules her young charges with a rod of iron, Su thinks she isn’t totally unsympathetic.

“I think she shows her vulnerable side - she’s just desperate to love somebody. She would have loved to have had a husband but it just hasn’t worked out,” she says. Rick Bowen * Annie is at the Lowry, Salford Quays, from July 28 to August 1 at 7.30pm, including matinees. For tickets, call 0870 111 2000.

· The rights for Annie (1982) were sold in 1978 for $9.5 million, a record that still stands, breaking the record set when Warner Bros. paid $5.5 million for the screen rights to My Fair Lady (1964)

· Annie has been played on Broadway by Sex and the City actress Sarah Jessica Parker as well as 80s flashbacks, Molly Ringwald and Debbie Gibson

· During filming of the movie dog food was rubbed on Aileen Quinn's (Annie) face in order to make "Sandy" kiss her

· Aileen Quinn's red curly wig was so itchy that the property masters gave her a special comb with which to scratch her head

· Jack Nicholson was originally signed to play Daddy Warbucks, but dropped out after the original producer departed the project

· Steve Martin was offered the role of Rooster, but when he heard he would be working alongside Bernadette Peters (Lily) he turned the role down as they were breaking up at the time.

· Su Pollard has now toured with Annie four times. Each time playing orphanage-owner, Miss Hannigan.

From its Broadway beginnings to the classic film musical, the heart-warming rags-to-riches story of little orphan Annie has been told all over the world. Next week, it’s the turn of Highland audiences to be enchanted, veteran performer Su Pollard tells Susan Welsh

This is the fourth time Su has toured with the show, and as she revealed, it doesn’t get any easier.

“I quake in my boots every time I’m on the stage because I am up against stiff competition in the form of Sandy, an adorable dog, and some of the cutest kids you’ll ever see playing the orphans,” said Su.

“One of them, Molly is about 2ft 6in, has long blonde ringlets and talks in a sweet voice. The audiences see the kids and the dog and say ‘awwwwwww’ while I get all the boos.

“Well – I may as well phone my performance in for all the heed they take of me,” said Su, giggling.

“Joking aside, it’s a great show, almost like a summer version of a pantomime because it has good versus evil, a big Christmas scene and baddies in the form of Miss Hannigan and her brother Rooster.

“Miss Hannigan is a great role to play, because she’s had a terrible life. Nothing has turned out the way she wanted, and she’s ended up running an orphanage and looking after a load of dreadful, snotty kids that give her the run-around.

“The only bright spots in her life are listening to the radio in the afternoon and drinking Jack Daniels which she adores.”

Read the full Su interview here.

There's something endearing about Su Pollard, the singer and actress known for her big singing voice, personality and larger-than-life fashion.

A couple of months back, the Daily Mail snapped her out shopping in London in one of her unique colourful outfits and asked whether someone on the verge of 60 should be dressing like this.

"But it really backfired on them, I think," said Su. "There were emails from all over the world saying they liked the way I dressed and how your age shouldn't mean you have to dress a certain way.

"So I think they did me a big favour!

"I'm not saying it's a mission or anything, but I think they should be careful about suggesting that if you're over 50 you have to slow down and not do things!"

Slowing down is not something Su shows any sign of doing.

There's a big party planned for her 60th, though she'll still be on tour as Miss Hannigan in Annie, so has postponed celebrations till January.

Her best-known outfit for most people would still be the dowdy maid's uniform she wore as sitcom Hi De Hi's yellowcoat wannabe Peggy.

And when Hi De Hi has a 30th anniversary reunion in the autumn, Su will be there.

"I've still got the costume," she revealed.

But it's not every actress who would put it on to bring a little thrill to some neighbourhood children who had got to know Peggy through the release of the DVDs. And Su had played along, telling them to come back later because Peggy was out cleaning the chalets. When they returned, she had put on the costume and played Peggy to their delight.

Read the full Su interview here.

Su Raises Bar As Annie's Enemy; Hi-De-Hi Chalet Girl is Ready to Revisit Bar-Room Haunts As She Plays Nasty Drunk in Musical Hit

Showbiz veteran Su Pollard volunteered for a spot of method acting to prepare for her latest stage role.

Cast as gin-soaked Orphanage owner Miss Hannigan in the touring production of Annie, Su suggested to her director she could do some research - with an all-expenses-paid pub crawl.

Su giggled: "Not surprisingly, he just laughed and said, 'I don't think that will be necessary, dear'. But it was worth a try.

"Miss Hannigan is a great character to play, especially as she deteriorates with the drink as the play progresses. You just see her getting more manic as the kids wind her up. I've played her before and she's one of my favourite characters.

"The preparation for my part couldn't be simpler. Miss Hannigan is meant to look thrown together with a terrible wig tied with a scarf and it takes me five minutes to put my make-up on. The cute orphans and cute dog get all the 'awwwwwws' and I get the 'boos'. It's like a panto and is such a feel-good show with the most wonderful ending. I love it."

The classic tale of the poor orphan rescued from a life of poverty by rich business tycoon Daddy Warbucks has three Scottish tour pitstops in Inverness, Glasgow and Hamilton. Coming to Scotland will be a highlight of the five-month tour for Su, who says Glasgow is her theatrical home. She said: "The Theatre Royal is my favourite theatre in the whole of the UK. It's a beautiful auditorium and the acoustics are brilliant.

"I always feel so welcome there too and there's a great cafe over the road. I'm a big fan of the Waterloo pub and I love the shopping on Buchanan Street so I'll be bringing my credit cards."

Best known as dizzy chalet maid Peggy in classic 80s sitcom Hi- De-Hi, Su is looking forward to teaming up again with her old co- stars from the holiday camp comedy to celebrate its 30th anniversary in October. She'll meet up with pals like Ruth Madoc who played camp announcer Gladys Pugh, Jeffrey Holland (Spike) and Nikki Kelly (Sylvia), at Dover Court, the location of the real-life former Warners' holiday camp where the show's exterior shots were filmed.

Although it has been off the Beeb for more than two decades, a whole new generation of fans are tuning in to repeats on digital TV and Su is regularly recognised in the street by kids young enough to be her grandchildren.

Su said: "There's a school near where I live in London and the little ones come and knock my door, asking if Peggy is in. I tell them she's off cleaning chalets but might be around tomorrow. When they come back, I make sure I've got my Peggy gear on and you should see their little faces light up."

She might have first hit the limelight in her dowdy cleaner's costume but Su has since become as well known for her wacky wardrobe as for her acting. She hits the big six-oh in November and has no intentions of easing into retirement in twin-set and pearls.

She laughed: "I've decided I'll have several outfits for my big birthday bash. Maybe I'll have 60. One of them will be this fabulous feather and sequin cape I picked up that used to belong to a drag queen - it's gold, red, green, yellow, completely outrageous.

"But I'll surprise people because I'm also going to have a smart, understated fabulously-cut cocktail dress. I'll still be on tour with Annie for my birthday (November 7) and then doing panto, so I'm postponing the party till January. I want everyone I've ever known to come, from showbiz friends to my lovely window cleaner Paul.

"Turning 60 doesn't bother me. As long as I wake healthy I'm happy."

For tickets for Annie call the box offices: Eden Court, Inverness, 01463 234234; Theatre Royal, Glasgow, 0141 332 9000; Town House, Hamilton, 01698 452299.

By LAURA DAVIDSON

We are happy to update on this first Sunday of July with the FULL dates for the Annie 2009 UK Tour, with four new theatres added to the list we brought you a few weeks ago.

Wednesday 15th July - Saturday 18th July: Theatre Royal, Lincoln
Monday 20th July - Saturday 25th July: Eden Court Theatre, Inverness
Tuesday 28th July - Saturday 1st August: The Lowry, Manchester
Tuesday 4th August - Saturday 8th August: Theatre Royal, Glasgow
Tuesday 11th August - Saturday 15th August: Bristol Hippodrome
Monday 17th August - Saturday 22nd August: Theatre Royal, Brighton
Tuesday 25th August - Saturday 29th August: Sunderland Empire
Monday 31st August - Saturday 5th September: Richmond Theatre
Monday 7th September - Saturday 12th September: Liverpool Empire
Monday 14th September - Saturday 19th September: Theatre Royal, Nottingham
Tuesday 22nd September - Saturday 26th September: Grand Opera House, Belfast
Tuesday 29th September - Saturday 3rd October: Orchard Theatre, Dartford
Tuesday 6th October - Saturday 10th October: Royal Theatre, Castlebar
Tuesday 13th October - Saturday 17th October: Town House, Hamilton
Tuesday 27th October - Saturday 31st October: Venue Cymru, Llandudno
Monday 2nd November - Saturday 7th November: Grand Opera House, York
Tuesday 10th November - Saturday 14th November: Millennium Forum, Derry
Tuesday 17th November - Saturday 21st November: Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham