| Su
is interviewed this week at the
'What's On South West' website: 
Su Pollard
comes across as one of the most
pleasant people you could wish to
meet from the entertainment
industry.
Her caring
comedic characters played out on
stage and television seem to be
life imitating art, or
vice-versa, as I chat to her over
the phone.
It was one
of those rare moments where the
person you have seen on
television, turned out to be
exactly how you imagined them to
be.
She was
even lovely when our conversation
was curtailed as someone cut
through her telephone line
outside her London home.
Su
indicated though, that a common
misconception is to mistake that
charm for being in some way ditzy
or superficial.
Su says
her passions run deep.
“I
think a lot of people might have
been given the impression, I am
in some way frivolous, when it
comes to emotions.
“That’s
not the case. There’s a
very, very deep side to me. Deep
and meaningful. I just don’t
share it with everyone.
“There
are people who I have that
connection with. Those people who
manage to keep you sane
throughout your life.
“You
have to have both sides to your
personality.”
Susan
Georgina Pollard was born in 1949
in Nottingham as the eldest
daughter to Don and Hilda.
Her
interest in the stage began when,
at the age of six, she played an
angel in the school nativity
play. Alas, it was a rocky start,
falling through the lid of a box
when announcing the arrival of
the Angel Gabriel.
Aged 16
she began singing in charity
shows and at working men’s
clubs and pubs before starting an
apprenticeship at the Arts
Theatre in Nottingham.
Su made
her television debut in 1974 on
Opportunity Knocks, where her
rendition of I’m Just A Girl
Who Can’t Say No from
Oklahoma saw her come second
— to a singing Jack Russell
dog.
“I
suppose when you first start out,
you just really want to be in
work,” she said.
“It’s
a great bonus if anything
substantial comes along, and I
managed to get Hi-De-Hi.
“When
you are younger you to tend to
wander a bit and wonder where
life’s going to lead you.
“I
had some inspiration. My music
teacher Mr Smith always
encouraged me to keep singing.
“A
bit of help and support along the
way is always good.
“Hi-De-Hi
and what I accumulated from my
younger years, put me in good
stead.”
Although
Hi-De-Hi is perhaps the most well
known part of her legacy, the
first big television break came
in the form of Two Up, Two Down,
in which she played a hippy named
Flo with Paul Nicholas playing
her partner.
It lasted
only one series but then, in
1979, came the pilot programme
for a new BBC comedy written by
Jimmy Perry and David Croft set
in a holiday camp.
Hi-De-Hi
ran for 10 years and notched up
58 episodes which regularly
attracted audiences of more than
15 million.
It’s
no wonder why, 20 years on since
the last episode was first aired,
people still associate her with
the series.
“I
don’t think I’ll ever
get rid of Hi-De-Hi, not that
I’m sure I necessarily want
to,” she says.
“Eventually
people will have seen me do so
much other work, but I think
people see you as the person you
are, regardless of the part that
you are playing.”
Su went on
to star in You Rang M‘Lord
in which she was cast as Ivy
Teasdale, maid to wealthy Lord
Meldrum, followed by Oh Dr
Beeching as Ethel Schumann,
resident box office clerk and
station gossip.
“I do
try to mix and match things a bit
with my career,” she said.
“People
who are serious actors and
actresses are very useful in
something like Shakespeare and
tend to gravitate to those kind
of productions anyway.
“That
said, two years ago I played a
nurse in Romeo and Juliet. As
long as the production is good
and you take pride in what you
are doing, people will come.
“I’m
always going to get comedy based
roles though.”
Su’s
comedy streak and passion for
singing continues in her current
project Shout, a musical about
the swinging ’60s.
In the
production, which opens in
Torquay next week, five gorgeous
women and one lucky man will
twist and shout, shimmy and shake
while belting out classic hits
including Downtown, Son Of A
Preacher Man, I Only Wanna Be
With You, To Sir With Love and
These Boots Are Made For
Walking.
The
soundtrack is central, featuring
songs from Cilla Black, Petula
Clark, Lulu and Dusty
Springfield.
The tour
has been on the road since
February now and so has Su.
“I
adore it. Don’t get me
wrong, I love living in London,
having been here for a while now.
But I do love it when you have
the opportunity to travel around
and see places.
“But
it’s also great to get out
of the London traffic once in a
while.
“Also,
when I’m on tour, I get to
meet up with a lot of friends
that are dotted around the
country.”
Su said
the production ranks among her
more recent theatrical hits,
including Annie.
“It’s
absolutely one of the most
enjoyable things that I’ve
ever done.
“At
first it was a case of very small
beginnings, I only got the job
two weeks after Christmas.
“The
producer went to the USA and saw
it and decided he wanted to put
it on here.
“Of
course there had to be some
re-writes and it was ‘work
in progress’ for some time.
“The
reaction that we get from
audiences is absolutely
fantastic.
“It’s
a real feelgood thing, like Mama
Mia.”
Su and
co-star Claire Sweeney are going
to have a busy week in Torquay.
Along with
taking a ride in the
controversial HiFlyer balloon,
the duo are taking some time out
to help try to inspire a new
generation of actors with a
masterclass for some South Devon
College pupils.
“I
think the greatest thing someone
can do is to get themselves a
decent agent because it really
does take the hassle out of
everything. It allows you to just
get on with your work. You
don’t need to do any of your
own negotiation.”
She added:
“You have to be able to
produce the goods. Reliability
really is the main thing that
they are employing you for.
People pay you to turn up.
“Reliability
is everything. It’s not fair
on the others in the production
otherwise. If you can prove that
you are solid, then that’s a
really good start.”
You can
see Su in Shout! at the Princess
Theatre from Tuesday, June 3.
“It’s
like a party, but there’s no
need to bring a bottle,” she
said.
Box office
0844 8472315.
|
It's the
final week of the current run of Shout!The
New Swinging 60's Musical,
the cast arrive in Brighton today
for a week of shows at the
Theatre Royal. 
