• Annie will be showing at Venue Cymru between October 27-31. For more information or to book tickets contact the Box Office on 01492 872000 or visit the website at www.venuecymru.co.uk  

Su Pollard can lay up a table for 100 people.

This and a multitude of other snippets tumbled from the mouth of the irrepressible actress who will forever be remembered as the daft cleaning maid from Hi-de-Hi who yearned to become a Yellow Coat.

Su is coming to Bournemouth Pavilion this Christmas to star as the Wicked Queen alongside CBeebies presenter Chris Jarvis - who is also the director - in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Bubbling with enthusiasm for this her 30th panto, Su was at the BIC this week for the launch of what promises to be a top class production which will include local children from the Stage Door School of Dance and Drama.

Su is proud of her ten-year stint in BBC's Hi-de-Hi.

"I owe everything I've learned from the writers David Croft and Jimmy Perry," she said, adding that in casting the sitcom they had been determined to give unknowns a chance.

This series was followed by You Rang me Lord.

"We had lots of tutoring and that was how I learned to lay a table. We had authentic props and you wouldn't believe how heavy everything was," she said.

Oh Dr Beeching was her third hit sitcom.

"They were fun parts, and I suppose today they would be considered as OTT. It was highly comedic and almost farce," she said, adding that her favourite TV programme is Midsomer Murders.

Su, who is from Nottingham, but has been living in London for 36 years, first took to the boards in 1973 playing the role of the Blue Fairy. As well as pantos she has done many summer seasons and at the moment she is touring in Annie playing Miss Hannigan.

No interview with Su Pollard would be complete without mentioning her original take on fashion, which was highlighted in a national newspaper recently.

"Sometimes I lay my clothes out the night before, but often I just wear what I fancy, regardless of whether the items go together. Some of my clothes are 30 years old, and the most important thing is the material."

Commenting on her deliciously exuberant personality she said: "I'm very fortunate as my cup is always three-quarters full. I can't have negativity."

Bournemouth resident Chris Jarvis is also a panto regular and this will be his 16th, and fourth in Bournemouth. As Muddles, he will in effect be the 'children's friend'.

"Muddles' role is to work with the audience - and to annoy the Wicked Queen," said Chris who is as bubbly in every day life as he is on stage.

He came into showbusiness through the variety route of Butlin's, cabaret and radio, and today in addition to being a children's presenter he works with a number of orchestras including the Nottingham, London and BBC Philharmonic.

He is passionate about panto.

"It is a child's first experience of the theatre, and it is important that the story makes sense. Panto is in a good condition at the moment and is no longer a slave of the charts. We use songs from musicals, TV adverts and hits from the past. In ways TV has done us a great service. There are few sitcoms and we're taking over that role, producing clean comedy with music."

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs runs from Saturday 5th December to Sunday 3rd January at Bournemouth Pavilion.

The ticketline is 0844 576 3000 (Interview by Marilyn Barber).

Classic BBC comedy in one superb Box set. You can pre-order now, this Box will be released on the 2nd of November 2009.

From the legendary Jimmy Perry & David Croft comes the Complete DVD Collection of that hymn to the great British holiday, HI-DE-HI. From 2 November2 2009, when we are dreaming of winter sun, wallow in this heady brew that is part Carry On-style farce, part class comedy and part nostalgic romp. Based on Perry's own experiences working as a Butlin's Redcoat following the war, it was set at the fictional Maplin's holiday camp in 1959.

As the new season starts, the staff are baffled to discover the place is now being run by Jeffrey Fairbrother (Simon Cadell), a Cambridge archaeology professor who's looking for a change of scene. The bashful, softly spoken boffin is clearly ill-suited to his new posting and immediately provokes the ire of comic Ted Bovis (Paul Shane), a shyster of the first order who had his eye on the job. In contrast, Welsh senior “Yellowcoat”, smouldering Gladys Pugh (Ruth Madoc), is very taken with the new arrival. Meanwhile, all Peggy Olerenshaw (Su Pollard), the over-excitable chalet maid who won viewers' hearts, can think of is becoming a Yellowcoat.

Weighing in with ten series’ and 58 episodes, HI-DE-HI was one of the very biggest comedy series of the ’80s, regularly drawing in 13 million viewers and won the BAFTA for Best Comedy in 1984. And as if in tribute, newspapers are reporting British holiday camps are set for a comeback this credit-crunched summer as families save money by spending their breaks at home. Hello, Campers!

No of Discs: 13 | Episodes: 58 | Cert: PG | Release Date: 02/11/2009

Mr Tarran, a building control team manager for Colchester Borough Council, said: “I am Harwich born and bred and I watched the show the first time round and probably saw some of it being filmed. “It is a nostalgic thing - I loved the programme and loved the characters but it is also something to do with Dovercourt for me as well.

Read the full report here. Please click on the group reunion photo for a larger version.

The ever-popular family favourite musical comes to Festival Theatre, Malvern from Tuesday, October 20. Su will be stepping into the shoes of mean and scheming Miss Hannigan and is supported by television favourite David McAlister who has starred in Doctors and Holby Blue. There will also be a West End cast of 40 artistes to join in with the brilliantly memorable score including It’s A Hard Knock Life, Easy Street and of course the legendary Tomorrow.

From its Broadway beginnings to the classic film musical, Annie’s heart-warming rags-to-riches story has been told all over the world for decades. Instantly recognisable with her fiery red hair, orphan Annie has one adventure after another as she travels from her the New York orphanage to the luxurious mansion belonging to multi-millionaire Oliver Warbucks (played by McAlister).

Su is a favourite at Malvern Theatres after her brilliant run as the wicked stepmother in Christmas panto Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs two years ago, when she won over legions of young fans who had never seen Hi De Hi!, Two Up, Two Down or You Rang M’Lord? The well known actress’ theatre credits include Grease, Little Shop of Horrors, Godspell, Me and My Girl and most recently Shout!

Annie runs from until Saturday, October 24 with tickets cost from £16.50 to £26.50 (under 16s all seats £12). To book call 01684 892277 or log on to malvern-theatres.co.uk.

This years pantomime at The Bournemouth Pavilion will be 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' with Su Pollard as the Wicked Queen and Chris Jarvis as Muddles. It will run from the 5th December to 3rd January 2010. issTV went along to the media launch to chat to some of the stars.

Please click on the picture to view the original opening titles and hear Su sing 'Starting Together'.