Identical twin sisters who won the hearts of Chester audiences in the Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre productions last summer are returning to the city for the new season.

Stars of last year’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Danielle and Nichole Bird will return to play identical twins the Dromeos in The Comedy of Errors and the witches in Macbeth.

They bamboozled audiences with their appearance as the same character, Puck, in last year’s production.

Chester Performs has announced a stellar cast of acting talent which will form the new company for this year’s season of Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre.

Opening July 4 and running until August 24, the season will stage Shakespeare’s Macbeth and The Comedy of Errors plus a new adaptation of the children’s classic The Secret Garden.

Artistic director Alex Clifton said: “We have really raised the bar with previous years’ companies, so we were determined to put together something really special for 2014.

“The Macbeths are some of the most challenging roles in the canon, so the casting was very important.

“We now have a company of incredible talent, including some of the country’s finest stage actors, brilliant musicians and puppeteers; our audience are sure to be delighted across the entire season.”

Macbeth and his scheming Lady will be performed by Mark Healy and Hannah Barrie respectively.

Healy is at home with playing Shakespeare’s eponymous leads; he’s already starred as Hamlet and Coriolanus, as well as Benedick (Much Ado About Nothing) and Pertruchio (Taming of the Shrew).

Hannah Barrie, who starred in Ridley Scott’s blockbuster Robin Hood, has appeared in the BBC’s Waking the Dead, Waterloo Road and Holby City.

For theatre she has played Juliet in Romeo and Juliet at the Nuffield theatre, and acted in Henry V for the RSC.

Macduff will be played by Thomas Richardson and Duncan by Peter Gardiner.

Jessica Clark will play Mary Lennox in The Secret Garden. She has performed at the Birmingham Rep, New Theatre Royal and London’s Roundhouse.

Dickon will be played Gary Mitchinson, who’s starred in Craig Revel Horwood’s The Witches of Eastwick, and Colin will be played by Max Gallagher.

Organisers Chester Performs have confirmed more than 7,000 tickets have already been sold for the unique open air theatre.

Prices start at £18.50, with under fives going free. To book visit www.grosvenorparkopenairtheatre.co.uk call 0845 241 7868 or drop into Chester Visitor Information Centre.