Su Pollard
Su Pollard | |
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![]() Su Pollard in Lincoln, 2005 | |
Born | Susan Georgina Pollard 7 November 1949 Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England |
Nationality | English |
Occupations |
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Years active | 1974 – present |
Website | www |
Susan Georgina "Su" Pollard (born 7 November 1949 in Nottingham) is an English actress, singer, author and songwriter. Her career has spanned over 45 years and she is most famous for her role in the BAFTA winning Perry & Croft sitcom Hi-de-Hi!. She also appeared in You Rang, M'Lord? and Oh, Doctor Beeching!.
She has a lengthy theatre CV, appearing in over 35 stage plays and musicals, as well as over 40 pantomimes. As a singer, she scored a UK No. 2 hit with the song "Starting Together" in 1986 and also released an album. She is also well known for her unusual and flamboyant dress sense.
Early life
Susan Georgina Pollard was born on 7 November 1949 in Nottingham, England, the eldest daughter of Don and Hilda Pollard.[1] Her interest in acting began at the age of six when she played an angel in a school nativity play.[2] She attended Berridge Road School, Hyson Green and Peveril Bilateral School, Robin's Wood Road[3] (now Nottingham Girls' Academy). After leaving school at 16 she got a job at the Tennant Rubber Company in Carlton as a shorthand typist[4] and began singing in working men's clubs and charity shows.[5]
Career
This section needs additional citations for verification. (February 2019) |
Following an apprenticeship at the Arts Theatre in Nottingham, Pollard appeared on Opportunity Knocks in 1974 singing "I Cain't Say No" from Oklahoma! and came second to a singing Jack Russell.
She went on to play in the musicals The Desert Song and Rose Marie with John Hanson, starred in the Cameron Mackintosh West End production of Godspell, played opposite Jack Wild in Big Sin City at the Roundhouse, toured in the musical Grease in a company that also included Tracey Ullman, with Tim Brooke-Taylor and Hugh Paddick in the farce Not Now Darling, won a role in Andrew Sachs play Philately Will Get You Nowhere and appeared at the Mermaid Theatre in a celebration of the music of Cole Porter called Oh Mr. Porter!
Su's first comedy role was in a BBC series screened in 1978 entitled Two Up, Two Down in which she played a hippy named Flo. Paul Nicholas played her partner, Jimmy, both of whom were squatting in the house of a nice middle class couple. It only lasted 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. Pollard landed the role of chalet maid Peggy Ollerenshaw in Hi-de-Hi!. She continued in this role until the programme's end in 1988, by which time she had become a household name.
In 1981, she became one of the presenters of children's magazine show Get Set for Summer, in which she delivered wacky reports and bogus weather forecasts.
During the run of Hi-de-Hi!, Pollard also had a singing career, and in 1986, she reached No. 2 in the UK Singles Chart with the song "Starting Together",[1][6] the theme song from the BBC Television 'fly-on-the-wall' documentary series The Marriage. It was her only Top 40 hit; her first single, "Come To Me (I Am Woman)", had reached No. 71 in 1985 and her only charting album, Su, peaked at No. 86 in the UK Albums Chart in November 1986.[6] In 1987, she toured the UK with The Su Pollard Show[1] and co-hosted It's a Royal Knockout.
Pollard also starred in the stage production of Hi De Hi! - The Holiday Musical, along with almost all of the cast from the television series, played sell out seasons in Bournemouth, London and Blackpool. In 1985 she played Sally in the West End production of Me And My Girl at the Adelphi Theatre which she appeared in for over a year. Then came roles in a national tour of Rodgers and Hart's Babes In Arms playing Bunny Byron opposite Matthew Kelly, and the title role in Sweet Charity at the Connaught Theatre, Worthing.
Pollard also appeared in a number of television adverts, Typhoo, Walls, Kit Kats, with comedy star Roy Kinnear, Heineken lager, Toymaster toy stores, Ideal World shopping and the British Safety Council. She also wrote two books, Hearts and Showers and Sensible Slimming.
Shortly after Hi-de-Hi! had ended, the writers David Croft and Jimmy Perry chose Pollard to star as Ivy Teasdale in their new sitcom You Rang, M'Lord?, which starred her Hi-de-Hi! co-stars Paul Shane and Jeffrey Holland. This period sitcom ran from 1988 to 1993. In 1988, she won the "Rear of the Year" award. In 1989 she hosted the short lived ITV game show Take The Plunge, but it was cancelled after one season. From 1993 until 1996, Pollard starred opposite Gorden Kaye in For Better or Worse, a BBC Radio 2 sitcom about an engaged-to-be-married couple.[7][8] In 1995 Pollard took over as face of the National Egg Awareness Campaign. From 1995 to 1997 she played Ethel Schumann in another David Croft sitcom Oh, Doctor Beeching!. From 1989 to 1990, Pollard's distinctive voice voiced the lead character in the BBC children's television series Penny Crayon.
More recently, Pollard made a guest appearance in Gimme Gimme Gimme in 2001 and voiced Noisy in Little Robots. In 2001, she presented Songs of Praise three times. She has made four appearances on Just a Minute, and also regularly appears in pantomimes and other stage shows,[1] including Annie and The Pirates of Penzance. In 2008, Pollard starred in the musical Shout! alongside Claire Sweeney. From April 2009, Pollard appeared in the London transfer of Shout! at the Arts Theatre. In December 2010, Pollard had a guest role in the Christmas special of ITV's hit show Benidorm, playing herself. In December 2011, Pollard appeared as a guest on BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing. In the 2012 movie Run For Your Wife she had a cameo role as the newsagent. She starred in Who's Doing the Dishes? in September 2016. In 2018 she appeared in ITV's Last Laugh in Vegas.
In pantomime, Pollard appears mainly as the Wicked Queen in Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs, appearing in recent years at Sunderland, Blackpool, Tunbridge Wells, Aylesbury and Malvern.[citation needed]
2019 see Pollard starting as Queen Rat in Dick Whittington in Wolverhampton, alongside her Hi-de-Hi! co star Jeffrey Holland.[citation needed]
Personal life
Pollard was married to Peter Keogh from 1984 to 1992.[9] In 2014 Keogh published his memoir My Hi-de-High Life: Before, During and After Su Pollard.[10]
Pollard is related to journalist and former Blue Peter presenter Liz Barker and is a supporter of Nottingham Forest football club.[1]
Theatre
- 1974/75: Godspell National Tour
- 1975: The Desert Song National Tour
- 1976: Rose Marie National Tour
- 1977: Oh Mr Porter! Mermaid Theatre
- 1978: Big Sin City National Tour
- 1979: Grease Astoria Theatre, as Cha-Cha
- 1979: Grease National Tour, as Cha-Cha
- 1981: Philately Will Get You Nowhere
- 1981: Not Now Darling Plymouth Hoe Theatre, as Janie
- 1983: Hi-de-Hi! The Holiday Musical Bournemouth, as Peggy
- 1983/84: Hi-de-Hi! The Holiday Musical Victoria Palace, London, as Peggy
- 1984: Hi-de-Hi! The Holiday Musical Opera House, Blackpool, as Peggy
- 1985: Babes in Arms National Tour, as Bunny Byron
- 1985/86: Me and My Girl Adelphi Theatre, as Sally Smith
- 1986: Sweet Charity Connaught Theatre Season, as Charity Hope
- 1986: Sweet Charity National Tour, as Charity Hope
- 1987: The Su Pollard Show National Tour
- 1987: A Song, A Frock and A Tinkle Donmar Warehouse
- 1987: A Song, A Frock and A Tinkle National Tour
- 1991: Don't Dress For Dinner National Tour, as Suzette
- 1991: Don't Dress For Dinner New Zealand Tour, as Suzette
- 1992: The Good Sex Guide Revue New Zealand Tour
- 1993: Harbeas Corpus Far East Tour
- 1994: Little Shop Of Horrors National Tour, as Audrey
- 1995: Blackpool's Biggest Show North Pier Blackpool
- 1997: That's Showbiz Wimbledon Theatre, as Pam
- 1998: See How They Run Bournemouth Summer Season, as Miss Skillon
- 1998: See How They Run National Tour, as Miss Skillon
- 2000: Abigail's Party National Tour, as Angela
- 2001: The Pirates Of Penzance National Tour, as Pirate Maid Ruth
- 2002/03: Annie National Tour, as Miss Hannigan
- 2003: The Vagina Monologues National Tour
- 2004: A Happy Medium National Tour, as Ellen Small
- 2004: Annie National Tour, as Miss Hannigan
- 2005: The Vagina Monologues National Tour
- 2006: Romeo and Juliet National Tour, as The Nurse
- 2006: The Vagina Monologues National Tour
- 2007: Menopause The Musical Shaw Theatre, as
- 2008: Shout! The Swinging 60s Musical National Tour, as Aunt Yvonne
- 2009: Shout! The Swinging 60s Musical Arts Theatre, as Aunt Yvonne
- 2009: Annie National Tour, as Miss Hannigan
- 2010: Annie National Tour, as Miss Hannigan
- 2011: Annie National Tour, as Miss Hannigan
- 2012: Annie Hong Kong/Singapore, as Miss Hannigan
- 2014: Annie New Zealand Tour, as Miss Hannigan
- 2014: Ha Ha Hood! And The Prince Of Leaves National Tour, as Maid Marian
- 2015: In Conversation With Tim Macarthur
- 2017: La Voi Meets Su Pollard
- 2018: Harpy Edinburgh Fringe, as Birdie
- 2020: Harpy National Tour, as Birdie
Filmography
Feature Films
- 2011: Run For Your Wife Cameo
Television Roles
- 1978: Two Up, Two Down, as Flo
- 1980 - 1988: Hi-de-Hi!, as Peggy Ollerenshaw
- 1988, 1990 - 1993: You Rang, M'Lord?, as Ivy Teasdale
- 1989: According To Daisy (Unaired Pilot Episode only), as Daisy
- 1989: Penny Crayon, as Penny (Animation, Voiceover)
- 1995 - 1997: Oh, Doctor Beeching!, as Ethel Schuman
- 2001: Gimme Gimme Gimme, as Heidi Honeycomb
- 2003: Little Robots, as Noisy (Animation, Voiceover)
- 2010: Benidorm - Christmas Special, as Herself
- 2016: Hacker Time, as Mrs Cupelle
- 2018: Last Laugh In Vegas, as Herself
- 2018: Claude, as Gloria Swoon (Animation, Voiceover)
- 2018: Doctors, as Mary
- 2019: Andy and The Band, as Mary
- 2020: Celebrity Murder Mystery
Television Appearances
- 1974: Opportunity Knocks
- 1981: The Saturday Picture Show
- 1982: Me and My Town
- 1982: The Russell Harty Show
- 1982: The Grace Kennedy Show
- 1982: No. 73
- 1982: Give Us A Clue
- 1982: The Royal Variety Performance
- 1983: Wogan
- 1983: Saturday Superstore
- 1983: Breakfast Time
- 1983: The Kenny Everett Show
- 1983: Entertainment Express
- 1984: Sunday Sunday
- 1984: Aspel & Co
- 1984: TV:AM/Good Morning Britain
- 1984: Look Who's Talking
- 1984: The Laughter Show
- 1985: Live Aid
- 1985: The Royal Variety Performance
- 1985: Night Of 100 Stars
- 1985: The Val Doonican Show
- 1985: The Bob Monkhouse Show
- 1985: Pebble Mill At One
- 1985: Tom O'Connor's Roadshow
- 1986: The Royal Variety Performance
- 1986: Top Of The Pops
- 1986: Joan Rivers - Can We Talk?
- 1986: TV:AM/Good Morning Britain
- 1986: Pebble Mill At One
- 1986: Off The Record
- 1986: TV:AM/Good Morning Britain
- 1987: Pebble Mill At One
- 1987: Open Air
- 1987: It's A Royal Knockout
- 1987: Jackanory
- 1988: Let's Face The Music Of
- 1988: Give Us A Clue
- 1988: Star Memories
- 1988: Through The Keyhole
- 1988: Mid-Day Show (Australia)
- 1989: This Is Your Life
- 1989: Take The Plunge
- 1990: Daytime Live
- 1991: Coast To Coast People
- 1993: The World Of Peter Rabbits & Friends
- 1993: Channel 4's Love Weekend
- 1993: Noel's House Party (Gotcha!)
- 1995: The Ant and Dec Show
- 1995: Call Up The Stars
- 1997: This Morning
- 1997: The Generation Game
- 1999: Just A Minute
- 2001: I Love 1986
- 2001: Songs Of Praise
- 2002: RI:SE
- 2003: Liquid News
- 2003: Stars Reunited - Hi-de-Hi! Special
- 2003: Scotland Today
- 2003: The Weakest Link
- 2004: Songs Of Praise
- 2004: Comedy Connections - Hi-de-Hi!
- 2005: Loose Women
- 2005: Dick and Dom In Da Bungalow
- 2006: Loose Women
- 2006: The Best Of The Royal Variety
- 2006: Loose Women
- 2006: The Princes Trust 30th Birthday Live (Blankety Blank)
- 2007: The Paul O'Grady Show
- 2007: This Morning
- 2007: Destination Lunch
- 2007: Loose Women
- 2007: Anglia Tonight
- 2007: The Paul O'Grady Show
- 2007: Loose Women
- 2008: BBC News
- 2008: Central Tonight
- 2008: Loose Women
- 2008: Look North
- 2009: Loose Women
- 2009: Richard & Judy
- 2009: Daily Cooks Challenge
- 2009: BBC Breakfast
- 2009: Loose Women
- 2009: Look North
- 2009: Daily Cooks
- 2010: Loose Women
- 2010: This Morning
- 2011: Bucks TV
- 2011: This Morning
- 2011: Loose Women
- 2011: Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special
- 2011: ... Sings The Beatles
- 2011: You Have Been Watching... David Croft
- 2012: The Big Fat Quiz Of The 80s
- 2012: Strictly Come Dancing - It Takes Two
- 2012: Blackpool's Big Night Out
- 2013: Les Dawson: An Audience With That Never Was
- 2013: Piers Morgan's Life Stories: Gloria Hunniford
- 2013: Big Brother's Bit On The Side
- 2013: Pointless Celebrities
- 2013: The Paul O'Grady Show
- 2013: TVNZ Breakfast (New Zealand)
- 2013: Good Morning (New Zealand)
- 2013: 3 News (New Zealand)
- 2014: Good Morning (New Zealand)
- 2014: Pointless Celebrities
- 2015: Lorraine
- 2015: Pointless Celebrities
- 2016: Big Brother's Bit On The Side
- 2016: Celebrity Antiques Road Trip
- 2016: Whose Doing The Dishes?
- 2016: Lorraine
- 2017: The Baby Boomer's Guide To Growing Old
- 2017: 100: A Tribute To Dame Vera Lynn
- 2017: Lorraine
- 2017: Strictly Come Dancing - It Takes Two
- 2017: Big Brother's Bit On The Side
- 2018: Loose Women
- 2018: BBC Breakfast
- 2018: Through The Keyhole
- 2018: Keith & Paddy's Picture Show (Gremlins)
- 2019: Britain's Favourite Chocolate Bar
- 2019: Strictly Come Dancing - It Takes Two
- 2019: Pointless Celebrities
- 2019: Britain's Favourite Crisp
- 2019: When Talent Shows Go Horribly Wrong
Discography
Singles
- October 1985: "Come to Me (I Am Woman)" (UK No. 71)[6]
- January 1986: "Starting Together" (UK No. 2)[6]
- July 1986: "You've Lost That Loving Feeling"
- November 1986: "Wives Will Always Be the Last to Know"
- March 1987: "Come to Me (I Am Woman)" (re-issue)
- 1990: "My Miracle"
Albums
References
- ^ a b c d e "Great Nottinghamians:Su Pollard". BBC. November 2002.
- ^ "Su Pollard". Tv.com. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- ^ Su Pollard Best days of Your Life at Herald Scotland. Retrieved 29 April 2016
- ^ My School Days Su Pollard at Nottingham Post[permanent dead link]. Retrieved 29 April 2016
- ^ "Su Pollard". U-reds.com. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- ^ a b c d e Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 431. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ Craig, Mike. "RADIO DRAMA REVIEWS ONLINE: For Better or for Worse". RadioDramaReviews.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
- ^ Lavalie, John. "epguides.com: For Better or For Worse: a Titles & Air Dates Guide". epguides.com. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
- ^ Apex Publishing Ltd
- ^ Keogh, Peter (6 June 2014). My Hi-de-High Life: Before, During and After Su Pollard. Apex Publishing Limited. ISBN 978-1910295045.
- ^ "Su Online : The Collection – 17 Tracks on CD!". Supollard.com. Retrieved 16 March 2020.