We are thrilled to announce that Sue Hodge has agreed to become our school’s female patron.
SUE HODGE
Sue is a familiar face from BBCTV`s legendary comedy series, ‘Allo ‘Allo in which she played the cheeky role of Mimi. ‘Allo ‘Allo ran for many years on the BBC and is seen in 92 countries worldwide. The hugely successful `Allo `Allo stage show took Sue from England to New Zealand and Australia, then on to the London Palladium for 6 months. It is still regularly aired on BBCTV and celebrated 25 years in 2017.
Sue Hodge is proud to have been taught dance by Gillian Farr from the age of 5. The school was taken over by Sue Stephens and Brian Rogers and is re named Performers.
Sue trained at Bush Davies and Doreen Bird. Happy memories for Sue are working on shows with Rachel Izen, Rachel Stanley, Summer Strallen, Claire Sweeney, The Babette Langford School Of Dance and good friend Debbie McGee.
Although her career has been dominated by acting with acting, starting with The Dick Emery TV shows at the age of 14, she has a huge singing voice which was noted when she toured Jesus Christ Superstar for producer Robert Stigwood and ‘The Rocky Horror Show’. Whilst playing London`s West End Theatres, The Fortune, Piccadilly and Westminster Theatres with Marigold in ‘Toad of Toad Hall’ she captured the eye of Terry Gilliam for the film ‘Brazil’.
During the last series of ‘Allo ‘Allo she took over the role of ‘Suzette’ in ‘Don’t Dress for Dinner’ at the Apollo and Duchess Theatres, taking time off for further TV appearances in ‘Noel’s House Party’, ‘The Royal Command Performance’, as well as ‘The Princes Trust’ and ‘The Duke of Edinburgh Awards’, ‘Breakfast TV’ ‘Good Morning’ and ‘Children in Need’.
When Sue is not seen she is regularly heard, as many obscure characters for Jim Henson Productions. She has made a pilot for a new animated cartoon for Hat Trick Productions. Sue has appeared as Patricia Fodor in the 28 week national tour of “Crazy for You”, Dorothy in Stepping Out, and a No. 1 UK tour as Gladys in Dirty Dusting, for R C Kelly productions also Joyce Brooks in the No.1 UK tour of There’s No Place Like a Home, written and produced by Paul Elliott and Lady Chesapeake with Cannon and Ball on a national No 1 tour of Big Bad Mouse.
Recent projects have included her 5th trip to Australia with “Don’t Dress for Dinner“, “It Runs in the Family” and the ‘Allo ‘Allo Stage show in Brisbane Australia with Gorden Kaye and Guy Siner. She also directed “A Chorus Line” along side her musical director husband Keith Paddington Richards.
Recent Television includes Pointless, Celebrity Bargain Hunt, Stars Reunited, ‘Allo ‘Allo, The Return, and became the new commercial face alongside Juan Sheet for Plenty Kitchen Roll.
Sue played The Skegness Housewife in the worldwide smash hit, “Menopause the Musical” following a tour of “Mimi and the Boy” a comedic and musical journey through the years of ‘Allo ‘Allo alongside Keith Paddington Richards, and has just completed the tour of a brand new play “50 Days of Grey” written by Andrew Lynford (Eastenders)
Last year, Sue was in New Zealand where she played the housekeeper in the international production of the musical “Annie” and returned to the Antipodes with her friends from The Encore Theatre Company in “The Vicar of Dibley” and “Mimi and Me”.
Sue first appeared in Pantomime at the tender age of 15 in ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ and has continued to do pantomime every Christmas performing from boy babe in ‘Babes in the Wood’ to ugly sister in ‘Cinderella’ with Arthur Bostrom and 3 hugely successful seasons opposite Bobby Davro. She created the role of Nurse Mimi in Robin Hood for That’s Entertainment Productions in 2015 and continues to engage audiences with her slapstick and fun routines for all the family. Most recently, Sue is looking forward to playing the Organic Fairy and directing Jack & The Beanstalk for That’s Entertainment Productions whereupon she is going to revive her tap skills in a show stopping performance of Putting On The Ritz!
Sue`s best selling book `Mimi’s Memoirs ‘Allo ‘Allo: 25 Years Later` was recently launched in London`s West End venue, The Theatre of Comedy.
http://suehodge.biz/
Ray C Davis was our Dr Coppelius in our production of ‘Coppelia’ in 2013 at the Assembly Hall Theatre, Tunbridge Wells. Ray has had an extensive career spanning 50 years
RAY C DAVIS – DANCER SINGER ACTOR RIP
Ray is celebrating 50+ years in the Theatre as dancer, actor, singer and choreographer since he first appeared in ‘Blitz’ at the Adelphi Theatre in 1962. He trained on a 5 year scholarship at the Royal Academy of Dance and with Andrew Hardy. He has appeared in many West End productions including Grandpa Potts and Coggins in ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ at the London Palladium, the Park Keeper in Mary Poppins, Proteus in ‘Two Gentlemen of Verona, Jerry in ‘The Good Companions’, Anselmo in ‘Man of La Mancha’, the Clown of the title in ‘Kings & Clowns’, Obadiah in ‘Tom Brown’s Schooldays’, Daniel in ‘The Matchgirls’, Harold in ‘Bar-Mitzvah Boy’, in Jonathan Miller’s ‘The Beggar’s Opera’, Wemmick in ‘Great Expectatons’, Snodgrass and Tony Weller in ‘Pickwick’, and in numerous other productions.
FILM & TELEVISION
Ray featured as a dancer in the films of ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’,
‘Half a Sixpence’ and ‘Wonderful Life’. His TV appearances include the Harry Secombe Shows, Cleo Laine and Noel Coward Specials, The Good Old Days and That Was the Week That Was, and as storyteller and performer on Rainbow,Play School and Play Away.
Margaret Mansi’s notes:-
I first met Ray when we were 10 years old after both gaining five year Ballet scholarships to the R.A.D. We lost touch for a few years and met up again when Ray auditioned for London Festival Ballet Company which I was in at the time. After being accepted, he decided not to join and to go into Musical Theatre. Again we lost touch, and then amazingly, when Maggie met her future husband, Tony, a singer in West End Musicals, it was discovered that Ray and Tony had been best friends for years!