Just A Quickie with... Hannah Chissick, director of Harrogate Theatre's production of Steaming at the spa town's Turkish Baths.

How did this production come to fruition?

"It's really bizarre because doing Steaming in the Turkish Baths was in my original application for the artistic director's job. It was a crazy idea I had when I was researching what Harrogate was famous for.

"I also like the idea of taking Harrogate Theatre outside the theatre, and staging a show like this is part of the jigsaw of producing theatre all year round here."

How did Harrogate Borough Council respond to your proposition?

"Thankfully we have a number of council members on our board and I mentioned it to them to see if they'd react by laughing, and although they said I was insane, they put me in touch with the right people. It's been three years in the planning and from Sunday onwards we're finally in the Turkish Baths. Five hours on Sunday, five hours on Monday, and then we open on Tuesday.

"We've already been down there for the all-women sessions in the past two weeks, and very enjoyable it's been too. There's worse things you could do, I can tell you."

Talk about a hot show! How will the Turkish Baths accommodate Nell Dunn's tale of six women finding companionship from their time together in the local steam baths?

"They've cancelled some of the sessions for when we do our show but there'll still be the all-women and all-men sessions during our run, and the heating will be off during the performances! Having said that, it will still be very warm in there; even the cool rooms are 60 or 70 degrees, but it doesn't feel like that because the rooms are so well designed. The audience won't be expected to strip down but you are advised to wear light clothes., so maybe we'll see a few bikinis in there."

Where and how will the production be staged?

"We'll be moving from room to room: the main rest area, the main hot room and the shower room, which should be fun, and the set is just what's there, the Turkish Baths. It will be the same with the lighting; we're not bringing in any stage lighting."

Nudity?

"I make no apologies for the nudity in the show. It's absolutely integral to it."

Harrogate Theatre presents Steaming at the Harrogate Turkish Baths, July 12 to 30, times vary. Box office: 01423 502116.

Updated: 09:05 Friday, July 08, 2005