HANNAH Chissick is the new artistic director of Harrogate Theatre, and at 26 she is the youngest ever in the theatre's 102-year history.

She will take up the reins next February when Rob Swain departs after five years.

"I feel immensely privileged and proud to have been given this opportunity," she says. "I'm interested in running a theatre that can become a flagship for exploring new and exciting ways to work on a local, national and, in time, international level, and it is my desire that Harrogate audiences experience the best home grown and touring product.

"I believe that even with the limited resources available in regional theatre today, it is possible to create work that is not only equal to, but the envy of, any other theatre in the country."

Chissick will form one of only three all-female management teams in British theatre with executive director Sheena Wrigley. "Hannah's age is not a factor. In fact we won't even be mentioning Hannah's age in our press release," says Wrigley. "We've chosen Hannah because of her amazing energy and enthusiasm and passion for working in regional theatre, a deep commitment that is wonderful to find in a young artist.

"Hannah Chissick is a very exciting director who is earning a significant reputation within the theatre industry, and we're delighted she's joining us. She will have a great impact on the future direction of this theatre combining, as she does, raw talent with a real understanding of the challenges facing today's theatre.

"In the last five years we've enjoyed one of our most successful periods ever, under Rob Swain, and this provides us with a great starting point from which to take on the future and develop new ideas and ways of working."

Born in London, Chissick comes from a family steeped in theatre. Her grandfather, Reginald Salberg, was director of Salisbury Theatre, where she is now directing Dick Whittington; her great uncle, Derek Salberg, ran the Birmingham Alexandra; her father, Jack Chissick, who played Stan Dougan in EastEnders, will be appearing as Mr Mushnik in Little Shop Of Horrors at the West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds, from Saturday; her mother is a theatre company manager, whose past productions include Miss Saigon in the West End.

After studying drama at Hull University, Chissick joined the Derby Playhouse as associate director at 21, directing plays from pantomime to David Hare and John Godber to David Mamet, and establishing a festival of new writing and several audience development projects aimed at younger people.

Since leaving Derby in early 2001, she has built a freelance career, directing Jamie Theakston, Steve McGann and Christopher Luscombe in Art at the Whitehall Theatre, London, and working as associate director on the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Manchester in August.

"I left Derby Playhouse with the hope of becoming artistic director of a regional theatre within the next two years, and when the Harrogate job came up, and I instantly applied," Chissick says.

"It's really difficult to comment on the issue of my age. It's something that people will talk about, but I was very young when I went to Derby too, and I've just been very fortunate to have had such a good start to my career.

"My plan is to carry on the very good work at Harrogate Theatre, and it's quite rare to inherit a theatre that is doing so well, which is a fantastic position to be in."

Updated: 10:26 Friday, December 06, 2002