1st
March 2003: Dear
Everyone, Firstly, a
very belated Happy 2003. I do
hope it's wonderful in every way
for us all.
Secondly,
a million apologies for not
communicating this letter
earlier. Honestly, I had intended
to start it during week three of
the panto, to keep you up to
speed with the show etc., but the
schedule was so hectic any
"interruptions" would
have made it impossible to
concentrate on being a
"Queen"! Speaking of
which, I had a ball. It was my
first time playing a
"baddie" and Snow
White is the perfect vehicle
for any female who wants to
tackle this sort of role. Chris
Monero, the producer, also wrote
the script and co-wrote the
songs, which were very
"show" tunes. A joy to
do. I must have been fairly
realistic at being evil as one
child threatened to chop me head
off at the stage door, with his
special "magic sword"!
Anyway, the show sold out and
became the biggest selling show
in the theatre's history, so, of
course, everyone was ecstatic,
the producer, cast and audience.
All in all, a great experience.
By the way, I can recommend a FAB
shop in Lincoln. POUNDLAND! I
find it extremely orgasmic. If
you're a bargain fiend, you'll
never leave. I fed the crew with
cakes and goodies every day. And,
my dears, the household goods are
T.D.F. Who needs Harrods?
For those
of you who keep up-to-date visits
to the website, you'll be aware
of the great success of Annie
- the Tour. We all had a ball and
it was really emotional at the
end of each performance to see
the audience cheering and being
generally moved by the show. The
producer is currently "in
talks" with a management who
want to take the show to the Far
East and Dubai. I'll keep you
posted, but it's definitely on
the cards. I've been in Dubai
before, courtesy of Piers Nimmo,
in a play called Habeus Corpus.
Dubai is a great place - hot,
gorgeous hotels, fabulous food,
interesting culture, men in those
long, flowing white robes -
jalababs they're called. I
remember going to a disco with
Melvyn Hayes and I was the
only person on the dance floor -
mind you, I luv a bit of space to
strut about - wondering where all
the other ravers were. I later
found out the ladies were in the
upstairs bar discussing their
fees-per-hour. Most of the girls,
apparently, come from Russia -
with love?
I am
currently enjoying a few weeks
off and having a fabulous time.
My ethic has always been
"work hard, play hard".
If I play any harder I shall have
to be hospitalised! In between
revelling, I am still recording
voiceovers for Little Robots,
which, according to the producer,
is proving very popular, now
beating Bob The Builder.
Success, indeed!
Currently,
'UK Gold' are re-running Hi-De-Hi!.
I still get 4th generation young
fans knocking on my door asking
for Peggy. It's a ceaseless joy
for me to know the show is a
perennial favourite and something
I will always be especially proud
to have been involved in. I never
forget that it was a springboard
for me, a fabulous break that all
actors would kill for.
I have
recently turned down several TV
projects, such as Dom Joly
on BBC3, as I felt they were not
right for me, but will keep you
posted on the TV score.
The
Hexagon Theatre, Reading, is my
host for panto this year -
another Snow White.
Christopher Lillicrap, what a
fantastic name, is producer and
Dame and we are currently
"in talks" with regard
to script, music etc. Preparation
is very important, as the
rehearsal period is somewhat
"limited" - she says,
tactfully! It's a bit of a
sixties dinosaur, building-wise,
but a well-respected venue and
the crew are very welcoming and
co-operative. Last time I played
there, as Ruth in The Pirates
Of Penzance, we made each
other cups of tea, and I remember
performing the "Opening
Ceremony" of their
refurbished ladies' toilets! I do
like to diversify!
The tour
dates for Annie are almost
finalised. I really enjoy
performing in this uplifting
musical. I honestly love the way
the audiences are genuinely moved
by what they see. In today's
climate of doom and gloom, people
do seem to want good,
old-fashioned
"I-enjoyed-that-show"
feelings.
I do want
to THANK ALL OF YOU for your
emails, letters etc., and I do
try to reply to you all. It's
very important for any artiste to
have loyal fans, old and new. You
all give tremendous support and
that's what encourages us to
continue to give the best
standard we can, in order to give
you value for money.
I had a
luvly Sunday lunch with Gary
Wilmot. His roast potatoes are
T.D.F.! Better than Hilda's!, but
don't tell her. It was nice
catching up and having a good
goss. I do have great respect for
Gary - a talented artiste and
"good bloke". Also I
had a great meet-up with my mate,
David Griffin - Clive in Hi-De-Hi!
and Emmet in Keeping Up
Appearances - We both
appeared in The Good Sex Guide
Revue in New Zealand. When
you've experienced an adventure
like that, nothing else matches
up!
Just
before I sign off, I want to
extend a personal, heart-felt
thanx to Davie, who is
responsible for my website. I
think he does a truly magnificent
job, and have been told so
constantly, especially by people
in the media. No mean praise
coming from those who are
constantly in touch with other
websites. The time and effort he
puts into it are really
appreciated - thanx Davie.
Finally,
thanx to all of you for
"logging-on" - is that
correct? I'm afraid I'm a bit of
a virgin when it comes to
terminology - and I do hope you
continue to tune into the website
and to the forthcoming 'Su's
Snippets'.
Much love
to you all - Su.
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