A chance to say 'Hi-De-Hi' to Su Pollard at a Peterborough theatre

I resisted the temptation to greet Su Pollard with a “Hi-De-Hi” when she answered the phone for our chat with a friendly "hello", but it is fair to say she wouldn't have been altogether taken aback if I had.
See An Evening With Su Pollard at Key Theatre on June 15See An Evening With Su Pollard at Key Theatre on June 15
See An Evening With Su Pollard at Key Theatre on June 15

"Oh I get that all the time, and I don't mind it at all," she said, referring of course to her role in the 80s sitcom which made her a household name as Peggy.

"It is just so nice to be associated years later with something that brought joy to millions of people.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

I am thrilled and I think it is a marvellous legacy, I don't mind that one bit."

The show- which continues to be popular around the world - made household names of the cast, few of who sadly remain.

"Oh yes," Su pointed out. "There's me, Ruthie (Ruth Madoc who played Gladys Pugh) and Geoff (Geoffrey Holland who played Spike) and some of the Yellowcoats. We call ourselves "the undead" and we sometimes say to each other shall we have a get-together with the undead again? That will be nice.

"But seriously the memories that you make, you keep them, 10 years of laughing (making the show) and you can't ask for better than that."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“And it is amazing how many people still watch it and not just in England when they show it again - we are very popular in places like Budapest – you always get letters from people saying it helped it with their English.

Su – who is bringing her An Evening With show to Key Theatre on June 15 – was a “jobbing actress” before landing the role of Peggy – and has many memories of appearing at the Key and the Broadway (where she was Miss Hannigan in Annie a decade ago). The show opened doors and she has an enormous rosta of pantos and musicals to her name.

As for the show, Su says it comes in two halfs.

"It is like a cabaret performance in the first half, all songs and dancing and anecdotes, music, all sort of things - Starting Together is in it, my greatest hit from all those years ago, and in part two it is just a nice little question and answer session,” she says. “I get the audience to write questions in the interval and we answer them.

“I like to think people can go home having had a nice night out at the theatre. It's not Checkov, it is a bit of fun and I think people just need that now.

Related topics: