Stafford's annual Shakespeare production will return this month, with a move to the Gatehouse Theatre for the very first time.

Rehearsals are under way for the production of A Midsummer Night's Dream and a huge 12-metre-wide set is currently being installed at the transformed Eastgate Street venue into a mythical Greek playground.

Producer Mike Groves said: "I'm loving seeing people come into the theatre and just go 'Wow!' when they see what we're doing. We were challenged to replace the experience of being up at the castle with something Stafford has never seen before and I think we've achieved that.

There's never been a show like this at the Gatehouse - and the theatre has never looked like this in almost 150 years. This is a one-off. The set itself has taken almost six months to build at our workshop in Beaconside and it reveals more than a few surprises during the performance itself.

It's a fantastic play; full of life, laughs and love and I genuinely think it will be something people will talk about for years to come. Already there have been people asking if the show will transfer to the West End and that's a real testament to the quality of this production.

It's a spectacle that will win over everyone who comes along for a magical night out."

The production stars Jonathan Hyde (Titanic, Jumanji, The Mummy), Kerry Ellis (Wicked, Les Miserables, We Will Rock You), Dan Burton (Gypsy) and Milly Zero (EastEnders, The Crown), The Bard’s best-loved comedy is directed by Sean Turner, who is Associate Director of the West End and UK Touring productions of The Play That Goes Wrong.

More than 2,500 tickets for A Midsummer Night's Dream have been snapped up so far. The production will show at Stafford Gatehouse Theatre from Friday 23 June until Sunday 9 July.

For ticket information (group rates available) contact 01785 619080 or book online at gatehousetheatre.co.uk.