There are now just over two weeks until Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs opens, on Friday 9th December, at the Assembly Hall Theatre, Tunbridge Wells so, before she launches herself into rehearsals for her part as the Wicked Queen, I was lucky enough to have a quick chat with the show’s legendary TV star, Su Pollard.
After first listening to her absolutely hilarious answering machine message, I asked Su…
Did you have a good time opening the grotto in the Royal Victoria Place Shopping Centre with Santa?
Oh yes, it was so funny and we had a great time turning all of the Christmas lights on at the grotto. There were loads of kids there, and we went on an open top bus all round the town as well. We were there for about three hours all together and then we had to say goodbye to Santa ‘cos it was time to go.
When will you be back to start rehearsals for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs?
We start rehearsals proper on November 28th but we’ve already had quite a few meetings including two or three with the Musical Director and he’s given us all of the songs that we will be singing so, hopefully, a lot of the preparation work is already done.
So have you got a few days just chilling out at home then?
Well, what I do on my “sitting at home” days is, because it’s this time of year, write my Christmas cards because, the thing is Paul, you don’t want to suddenly find that you’re in the thick of everything and you haven’t written any Christmas cards. I also spend quite a bit of time talking to my mates on the phone. I like to go and visit people as much as I can too.
This time of year there are a lot of functions that I get invited to but they always seem to be at times when I’ve got preparations to do for the panto. I’ve been invited to about five pre-Christmas “gatherings”, two of which are on the day before rehearsals start. The Grand Order of Water Rats are having their “do” and also my mate Gloria Hunniford has invited me to a “Strictly Come Tea Dance” for her daughter, Caron Keating’s foundation because, if you remember she tragically died very early, so, sadly, I’ve had to turn them both down. It’s a real shame.
Don’t you ever slow down?
Oh yes, definitely. I do, but I don’t just like flopping in front of the TV as such. I do a bit of reading and I do quite a lot of writing. I scribble things down because I think that it might come in handy when I do the one-woman show. That’s always still going on in my mind, do you know what I mean?
But what about relaxing?
Oh yeah, well I do. I love meeting my mates. Sometimes they come round to the house, but I like going out for lunch or for dinner. Sometimes I go local, sometimes I go into London. I call friends and I just say, “How are you fixed for tonight? Do you fancy coming out?” and we just go.
But my downtime is mostly when I am on my own. I might be on my own, but I’m not lonely. Do you know what I’m saying? I think it’s essential that you know how to enjoy your own company.
Other times I go and visit Hilda, that’s my mum. I’ve called her Hilda since I was 15 and I was a hippie. I said to her, “I can’t call you Mum now, it’s not cool” so I started calling her by her proper name. She lives by the beach, so close that Usain Bolt could run there in 10 seconds, but it takes me a bit longer of course.
I love to walk on the beach and that’s when I talk to myself too. It’ so good to take time out to clear your head of stuff like that because, otherwise, life just goes by too quick. Just a couple of weeks back I went to the send off for Jimmy Perry, who wrote Hi -De-Hi, and he was always the one to say, “Come on Su, live in the now”.
That must have been a very sad funeral.
It was, but it was really nice for him. All of the Water Rats came and lovely Barry Cryer was there and did a wonderful eulogy. Ruth Madoc talked about his days at Watford when he had a rep company there and that’s really where he started. I did a song, Goodnight Campers, which was the song we did in the very last ever episode of Hi-De-Hi and the BBC also used it for that show Goodnight Sweetheart, but I put different lyrics to it and then we all had tea after. I don’t know why I’m telling you all of this really.
Well it’s important, because people like Jimmy Perry were so influential to TV as it is now.
Oh yes, absolutely. So many people who are in TV today always say, “He was a great hero of mine because the sort of comedy that he did was so special”. All of his comedy had such a strong social meaning. Look at Dad’s Army, Jimmy loved to show how the working class got on with the posh characters. Probably the young recruit had a lot more about him than the Captain did, more common sense, and Jimmy loved to show that.
Jimmy was a gentleman who had a real sartorial elegance about him. He taught us all about fine wines and he even taught me what a Jugged Hare was, cos I’d never heard of it. He taught us about art as well. He was able to pass on all of this knowledge to us, which was fabulous, and now, hopefully, I can take that and pass it on to the younger ones as well. You have to pass on the baton don’t you.
Now, before we finish, I have a suggestion to make about Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
Go on then…
Well, I know you said that all the songs are chosen, but why not use your number 2 hit single, “Starting Together”, for the wedding scene?
You know, I did actually sing that in a pantomime before, in Bradford. It was ever so funny because they even played it in the foyer as everyone was coming in, but I didn’t think anyone ever listened to it after it was in the charts.
You know, it’s such a nice thing, because everyone thought that it was just a bit cheesy at the time, and I suppose to some people it was, but there was a really lovely meaning there. I think the lyrics are fantastic. So many people still ask me if I will go and sing it at weddings, and I did do it a couple of times, but I don’t do it any more because I’d never have time to do anything else!
Su Pollard can be seen playing The Wicked Queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at the Assembly Hall Theatre, Tunbridge Wells from Friday 9th December ’16 to Monday 2nd January ’17. Tickets are available from the Assembly Hall Theatre Box Office on 01892 530613 or online at www.assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk.
