Su's so bad - she's good!  

She's hitting the bottle, hates kids and wants to find the man of her dreams. 

Yes, Su Pollard is having the time of her life being thoroughly nasty and wicked. 

Hi-De-Hi’s one-time sweet-natured chalet maid Peggy has been transformed into a booze-guzzling harpy for family musical Annie. Su appears as mean orphanage boss Miss Hannigan and says she has no worries working with both children and animals. 
“The dog’s a little excitable,” she admits, “but the children are superb and the music is so great. I’ve always wanted to be in Annie because I just love the music so much. We’ve got a brilliant cast and, frankly, I’m having a ball. It’s fantastic.” 
One of the reasons Su is enjoying going on stage every night is she gets the chance to play a real horror. 

“Miss Hannigan doesn’t like these kids at all,” screams Su with delight. “She can’t stand them and they can't stand her. But, poor cow, she’s not got a lot going for her, has she? She’s desperate to find a man, but she’s got no chance.” 

It’s a complete change of character for Su who first came to public attention playing Yellow Coat wannabe Peggy in long-running TV comedy Hi-De-Hi. Her career has been busy every since and she’s is a veteran when it comes to touring. She was on the road earlier this year in Pirates of Penzance and will be starring in Annie before heading off to panto to play another audience-hissing nasty in Snow White. 

“I love touring and going to new places,” she insists. “I just wish Annie was a longer tour, I really do. It’s great to be in a show that’s so popular and it is something the whole family can come and see.” 
Meanwhile, she has plans to revamp her stage show for the Edinburgh Festival next year and she’s been working with Lenny Henry, Mel and Sue and Martin Clunes doing a voice-over for a new children’s series called The Little Robot.

“I voice a character called Miss Nosey,” she squeals with laughter and happily heads off to slip into the guise of Miss Hannigan again and practice being mean to a few more kids. 

By Marion McMullen. 
ic Coventry - October 2002

Not everyone will know the story or songs from the musical Annie, but everyone will know the actress playing Miss Hannigan in the forthcoming Blackpool production. 

Su Pollard made her name as dippy chambermaid Peggy in "Hi-de-Hi" -- but in Annie she struts her stuff as a hard-faced and drunken orphanage manager.  

"It's fantastic to be able to play a part you don't have to glam up for. She wears make-up on top of make-up and she's taken to the drink because her life is meaningless. She always takes it out on the kids but you do feel sorry for her really," Su said.

Her showbiz CV makes great reading. After an apprenticeship at the Arts Theatre in her home town of Nottingham, she came second to a singing jack russell on TV talent show Opportunity Knocks. 
Undeterred, she quietly amassed a wealth of experience all over the world. She's taken lead roles in musicals such as Grease, Little Shop of Horrors and Me and My Girl, farce (creating the role of Suzette in Don't Dress for Dinner), countless TV comedies and programmes, recordings of musicals, pantomime, summer seasons (including Blackpool's North Pier), cabaret in New York and on the QE2 -- even voices for cartoon characters. 

Not surprisingly, you could sum Su up in just one word: enthusiastic. 

"With Annie, in a way people already know what they are coming to see. But it's up to every performer in the show to give 110 per cent. 
"We work really hard, but we also have a policy that we work hard and we play hard!" 
And she is still happy to be remembered as Peggy. "The only time it gets on my nerves is when people are too shy to speak and they wait until I've passed and shout 'hi-de-hi' after me. Of course, I shout 'ho-de-ho' back. And then I think: well, that's the voice gone for tonight's performance!" 

By Nikki Masters
Blackpool Citizen - November 2002