Turning Bad For Panto

One of Nottingham's best loved celebrities, Su Pollard, will be playing the wicked queen at Mansfield Palace Theatre this winter.

Whether it's on TV or on the stage, Su Pollard usually stars as the 'nice one' - she played the loveable Peggy in Hi-De-Hi and Ivy in You Rang M'Lord.

However, this year Su's playing the wicked Queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at Mansfield Palace Theatre.

It's a panto role reversal for Su as normally she stars as the prince.

"It doesn't equate in a way... you get to a certain stage when you're not doing principle boy anymore. I had to give [it] up as my princesses were [getting] younger and younger... I looked like I was some kind of stalker!"

Su isn't going to be completely wicked.

"What I try and do is make the audience sympathetic to her - she's never had luck with men - you try and make her a bit loveable... [However] she really is quite evil - jealous to death of Snow White."

Su was born in Nottingham in 1949 but has spent the last 35 years based in London. She misses her home town.

"I still love coming back to my roots. It'll be nice to come back and spend time with mates."

Before Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in December, Su will be starring at the Theatre Royal in the Vagina Monologues, from Tuesday 29 August - Saturday 2 September 2006.

BBC Nottingham
July 2006