'I love being the bossy person at the front'

HANNAH Chissick knew it was love. She was also aware it was dangerous to want something so much. The object of her affection was Harrogate Theatre, which she'd heard of but never visited until applying for a job there.

Over the course of the next few months, as the interview process continued, she continued the affair. "I fell in love with the theatre," she says. "You go into the theatre and it's like the auditorium of the toy theatre you played with as a child. At the time I thought it was quite dangerous that I'd fallen in love with it in case I didn't get the job."

There was a happy ending. She's been at the theatre for six months as the new artistic director and, after formulating her plans, is raring to get out there to direct the first production.

Her Harrogate debut will help further her aim of raising the profile of the theatre, both within its own community and the theatrical world at large.

She directs a revival of Yasmina Reza's award-winning play Art, with Les Dennis, Christopher Cazenove and John Duttine. This will tour under the Harrogate Theatre banner for three months after premiering in the town in September.

"I've spent quite a lot of time talking about my ambitions for the theatre and what I would like my work to be. Now let's see it," she says.

"It's lovely to join the theatre at a timewhen it is doing really well, and is well supported by people in Harrogate and further afield. It was nice to start with an aspirational view rather than thinking 'How are we going to save this theatre?' We've been able to have the first couple of months just talking about where we'd like to go in the future."

At 26, Chissick is the youngest artistic director in the country and one of only three women running regional theatres. But labels like that are not what especially interests a woman from a theatrical family who's wanted to be an artistic director since she was a child.

"My parents took me to the theatre a lot. I remember seeing rehearsals and saying I wanted to do whatever that man was doing - and he was the director," she recalls. "I didn't have any desire to be on stage. I like being the bossy person at the front making it happen. It's still that simple. I just really love a play unfolding on stage.

"Both my parents work in theatre, which obviously had something to do with it. If my dad had been a butcher or whatever, I would have spent a lot of time around that, and that would have been my influence."

After studying at Hull University, she won a bursary under the Regional Young Director's Scheme. Working as director-in-residence at Derby Playhouse was followed by a year's freelance work before trying for the Harrogate post. Chissick has never really thought about achieving so much at a relatively young age, although she now thinks that directing her first main house show at 21 was "really cheeky".

Harrogate Theatre may lack the space and facilities of newer and bigger theatres, but as far as she's concerned, there are no limitations on what she can do. "For me, good theatre is not about the best technical facilities in the world or having a beautiful post-modern bar," she says.

"The technology side would be lovely to keep up with, and production values are extremely important. But our big thing is to raise the profile of the work we do and stake our claim at the centre of the community, and at the same time become about and for Harrogate. We talk about being the best we can. We are smaller physically but that doesn't mean that aspirationally, we need to be smaller."

The chance to tour Art from Harrogate came through Chissick's previous association with the play. She directed one London West End version - when the cast included Jamie Theakston and Stephen McGann - and assisted on many others.

She follows that by directing John Godber's Teechers as part of a varied season of work. "I know that Godber is very popular and at the same time plays to our really loyal audience," she says. "I wanted to show I wasn't planning to change everything drastically, and it's a good way to encourage a younger audience. We're doing a link-up with a local nightclub."

The regular pantomime team of director Lennox Greaves and dame Alan McMahon return for Aladdin at Christmas. Over the same period, Chissick will direct the musical Side By Side By Sondheim in the Studio Theatre. The production is being staged in two ways - as dinner-theatre for an audience of 40, and as a champagne-and-canaps cabaret night for 60.

The show is aimed at adults who've already seen the pantomime with their families or aren't keen on panto. Chissick also hopes that local companies will "buy out" entire performances for staff.

The season also includes touring productions, including Tennessee Williams' Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, Wild Jam from Kneehigh Theatre and Opera Box's Carmen.

"Ultimately it's about getting the best work possible. To do that you have to have a strong profile in the wider theatre community," says Chissick. "By touring our work and attracting great actors and great products, people will start viewing us differently."

HARROGATE THEATRE AUTUMN SEASON

Art, Sept 12-27

Wild Jam, Sept 29-Oct 1

Carmen, Oct 3-4

Teechers, Oct 17-Nov 8

Aladdin, Nov 28-Jan 10

Side By Side By Sondheim, Dec 6-Jan 3

Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, Jan 20-24

Hold Tight It's 60s Night, Jan 26

Starlight, Jan 29-31

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