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==Career==
==Career==
{{more citations needed section|date=February 2019}}
{{more citations needed section|date=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.
In 1979, Pollard was chosen by the [[BBC]] to play Flo in a new sitcom called ''[[Two Up, Two Down]]'' with [[Paul Nicholas]]. However, this lasted only one series. The following year, 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.

She went on to play in the musicals ''[[The Desert Song]]'' and Rose Marie with John Hanson, starred in ''[[Cameron Mackintosh]]'''s 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]]'', had them rocking in the aisles with ''[[Tim Brooke-Taylor]]'' and Hugh Paddick in the farce ''[[Not Now Darling, won a role in Andrew Sach's 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.
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.

Revision as of 21:17, 15 March 2020

Su Pollard
Born
Susan Georgina Pollard

(1949-11-07) 7 November 1949 (age 74)
Nottingham, England
NationalityBritish
Occupations
  • Actress
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • author
Years active1974 – present
Websitewww.supollard.com

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

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 Cameron Mackintoshs 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, had them rocking in the aisles with Tim Brooke-Taylor and Hugh Paddick in the farce Not Now Darling, won a role in Andrew Sach's 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.

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]

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

  • November 1986: Su (UK No. 86)[6]
  • 2001: The Collection[11]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Great Nottinghamians:Su Pollard". BBC. November 2002.
  2. ^ "Su Pollard". Tv.com. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  3. ^ Su Pollard Best days of Your Life at Herald Scotland. Retrieved 29 April 2016
  4. ^ My School Days Su Pollard at Nottingham Post[permanent dead link]. Retrieved 29 April 2016
  5. ^ "Su Pollard". U-reds.com. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ Lavalie, John. "epguides.com: For Better or For Worse: a Titles & Air Dates Guide". epguides.com. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
  9. ^ Apex Publishing Ltd
  10. ^ Keogh, Peter (6 June 2014). My Hi-de-High Life: Before, During and After Su Pollard. Apex Publishing Limited. ISBN 978-1910295045.
  11. ^ "Su Online : The Collection – 17 Tracks on CD!". Supollard.co.uk. Retrieved 26 December 2014.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Su_Pollard&oldid=945740506"