A KEY figure in youth work at Basingstoke's Haymarket theatre has quit after a clash over her role and working hours.

Associate director Helen Fry walked out last week after two meetings with her boss Alasdair Ramsay failed to resolve problems relating to her role and the hours she was working.

Ms Fry was hired last summer to take charge of the theatre's youth programme. She has told The Gazette she took the job in the belief that next year she would be given the opportunity to direct in the main programme.

However, she claimed that when she asked Mr Ramsay to clarify this at a recent meeting, he told her this was not this case and failed to see how she thought it could have been.

Ms Fry also claimed the role she had inherited was "unsustainable by one person alone". She said she was regularly working between 55 and 70 hours a week. The hours were affecting her health, she added, and had caused her to develop eczema.

Ms Fry told The Gazette: "I am furious with how I've been treated. "This was not a decision I took lightly, but one made out of extreme frustration. I feel I've been misled."

Her departure has led to the cancellation of the youth theatre's performance of Durrenmatt's The Visit, which had been scheduled for February 24 to 28.

Responding to Ms Fry's comments, artistic director Mr Ramsay said: "Helen was in no way misled as to her role as associate director (outreach and education).

This was clearly explained to her in the interview by myself and the selection panel and is very clearly laid out in the job decsription.

"Once the education and outreach work, which was her principle role, had been properly established and the new role of education officer was in post, there would have been every opportunity for her to direct in the main house and the studio, just as Brendon our last associate director had done.

"I have no problems with this and explained that very carefully - the main discussion point was the timing of this.

"As to the number of hours she was doing, that was entirely within her own control, as she was responsible for her own programme.

"The first time she approached me about this was less than a fortnight ago and, contrary to her point of view, I was extremely concerned and asked her why she hadn't let me know earlier.

"I then suggested that she should rework her timetable and to do what she thought possible, and to rework her budget to hire in the appropriate expertise to cover any outstanding commitments.

"We do not expect any employees to do more than their contractually-stipulated hours.

"Unfortunately, I think she felt she had to keep up the workrate that her predecessor had managed and, as I explained, we all have different skills and must match our output to those skills.

"We are sorry that we couldn't match Helen's expectations in the timescale she wanted and are sorry that she decided to move on.

"However, we shall continue our highly successful education and outreach programme, and continue to provide a major theatre resource for this region."