It’s a family affair for Hull Truck’s Little Voice

They may not be as famous as the Redgraves but father and daughter Hannah and Jack Chissick are proof that family ties are no barrier to working together in the theatre.

The pair have teamed up for Hull Truck Theatre’s forthcoming production of The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, with Hannah in the director’s chair and her father, whose stage work includes the RSC and the West End, playing the dual roles of Mr Boo and the phone man.

For Hannah, who studied drama at Hull University, it’s the chance to be back at the creative helm in a city she has fond memories of. “It’s always lovely to come back here, it’s like coming home. I have so much affection for the city and the theatre,” she says.

It’s not the first time that Chissick has directed her father, having worked with him in a production of Wind in the Willows last year. “It’s something we were both nervous about, particularly the first time, because we were worried about letting each other down. Certainly, from my point of view, because I admire him so much as a person and an actor.”

She admits it’s unusual for fathers and daughters to work together in the theatre like this, given the potential for arguments. “It is strange, you worry how the rest of the company will react because you don’t want people to feel uncomfortable. Then there’s silly things like what do I call him during rehearsals? I decided I would call him ‘dad’ because after 33 years it would have been peculiar to start calling him ‘Jack.’”

But it has, she says, been a “lovely” experience working with him. “I’m very fortunate in that my parents are both good friends as well and to meet my dad in the workplace has been wonderful. I’m very aware that this is something I can hold on to for the rest of my life because most people don’t have this kind of opportunity, plus it gives me the chance to boss him around,” she says, laughing.

In some respects working with a close family member can make life easier. “We have this strange shorthand so when we’re working together and it’s just me and him we speak very few words and if I think something isn’t working I can tell him without worrying about him taking it personally.”

The Rise and Fall of Little Voice has been a huge hit ever since it premiered at Bristol Old Vic in 1993, starring Jane Horrocks, who went on to reprise the role in the film version appearing alongside Michael Caine, Brenda Blethyn and Ewan McGregor.

But what was it that attracted her to Jim Cartwright’s award-winning play? “It has an epic quality. It’s about ordinary people, it’s about love and someone finding their own voice. It’s funny, it has some fantastic music and it’s beautifully written. But it’s also dark and complex, it’s about human nature and greed and people clinging on to a second chance, which all adds up to a special night at the theatre,” she says.

“It’s the sort of thing I would go and watch if I was going for a night out at the theatre. Sometimes you direct something which you think is good but isn’t necessarily the first thing you would choose to go and watch, but this definitely is.”

Chissick has made a name for herself in the traditionally male-dominated world of theatre directing. After leaving university she was quickly offered the chance of working on Art, first in the West End and then in New York.

From there, in 1999, she won a coveted regional young directors bursary scheme and four years later became the youngest ever artistic director of a theatre when she was appointed head of Harrogate Theatre, where she stayed for nearly four years. She also has a string of impressive directorial credits to her name including Bouncers, Side by Side by Sondheim, Much Ado About Nothing and Ibsen’s Ghosts.

Despite her success, she has no plans to follow in the footsteps of others like Sam Mendes who branched out into film directing. “I’m very definitely a theatre director. I love working with actors, I love creating something on stage. I love rehearsal rooms and I feel extraordinarily lucky to be able to do this for a living. It’s an enormous blessing to be able to go to work every morning and love what you’re doing.”

As for what’s on the horizon, she says she can’t think beyond Little Voice right now. “This is the only play that exists in the world to me, it’s all-consuming. But in a few months I’ll bid it a fond farewell and move on to the next one.”

The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, Hull Truck Theatre, July 29 to August 20.

Hannah Chissick Profile

After studying drama at Hull University, Hannah immediately got a job as assistant director on the play Art, working in London and New York.

In 1999 she won a bursary from the Channel 4 Directors’ scheme and Derby Playhouse, where she worked on over 15 world premieres.

The same year she directed her first main stage production – John Godber’s Perfect Pitch.

In 2003, she became artistic director of Harrogate Theatre.

She returned to Hull last year to direct Kiss of the Spiderwoman at Hull Truck.