Su Pollard hestitated for a moment, as she tells CHARLES HUTCHINSON, but how could she resist Annie?

IN A Happy Medium, her spring show in York, Su Pollard tried to contact spirits in the role of a novice medium. Now she is knocking them back, playing heavy-drinking Miss Hannigan in Annie, on her return to the Grand Opera House next week.

"I've done this role on two previous tours, the first time was two years ago, and when they asked me to do it again I was 'um-ing' and 'ah-ing', but it's such a great show and it's in such great condition, and you know it's tried and tested, so I said yes to the tour," says Su, the former Hi-De-Hi favourite.

Annie, should you need reminding, is the rags-to-riches story of an 11-year-old orphan who longs for her parents to rescue her from the New York orphanage run by mean-tempered matron Miss Hannigan.

Annie is offered the chance of a lifetime when billionaire businessman Oliver Warbucks decides to adopt her, but not before Miss Hannigan and her brother Rooster scheme to kidnap Annie and claim the reward money.

Miss Hannigan finds Su playing against kooky type.

"She's chilling, very chilling, and you can hear a pin drop in the audience when her mood changes, but she's only behaving how she is because she's frightened of losing her job, even though it's a terrible job that she hates. That's why she's drinking, just to get through the day," she says.

"So there's not much sign of my vulnerable side in this story, and that's why it's a great challenge to play her. She's not inherently nice or decent, but sometimes you have to find some vulnerability to show she's not all horrible, and so the audience ends up laughing at her when she starts bumping into furniture with her drink problem."

She has not made major changes to her earlier interpretations of the role.

"I'm sort of still doing it basically the same as before but this time I've been able to tweak it and make it more defined. I've made her a little more twitchy, a little bit more manic. She's borderline 'slightly balmy', unfortunately for her, and you can see she's on the edge of some sort of breakdown. I've given the character a couple of extra layers rather just making her stereotypical.

"I know that in a way you could say, 'Oh for goodness sake, it's only a musical', but you have to do the role truthfully and play the character as fully as possible."

Su has been on the road for nine weeks with another eight to go. "A tour goes by so quickly when you're enjoying it, and we're really enjoying this one.

"The music is feel-good music and the more you listen to it, the more you think, god they were clever writers these guys. The story is very relevant to today, just as it was relevant in the Depression era, and because the music is so upbeat, that gives it added impact for the audience," she says.

"Even women in their 60s and 70s in the audience are thinking 'Oh, I wish I could play Annie', and I think that's marvellous!"

Su believes the show's optimism gives it its longevity.

"It's that rags-to-riches thing, it's so optimistic. Some people may come to the show with troubles on their mind but they'll then come out feeling so much better having had a great time," she says. "There's nothing wrong with a little sentimentality, and there's plenty in this show."

Annie, Grand Opera House, York, November 23 to 27, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee. Tickets: £10 to £20; ring 0870 606 3595.

Updated: 09:37 Friday, November 19, 2004