A major figure has been added to the creative team behind this summer’s Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre in Chester.

The season of open air theatre runs from Friday, July 3 until Sunday, August 23 with productions of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, performed in rep with The Merry Wives of Windsor and the children’s classic The Wind in the Willows.

Joining the creative team is acclaimed theatre and TV director Rebecca Gatward whose recent projects include directing Oscar-winning actor Matt Damon at the Garrick Theatre and the acclaimed Maxine Peake in her production Beryl.

Gatward will direct The Merry Wives of Windsor, one of Shakespeare’s comedies, penned at the request of Queen Elizabeth I who was keen to see the return of the portly knight Falstaff, from Henry IV.

Gatward has directed some of the BBC’s longest running TV series while her theatre work includes productions at the Globe, RSC, Old Vic and National.

She said: “I am hugely excited about being part of such a terrific season of plays in such a special location and hope my production of Merry Wives will be an uproarious and outrageously entertaining night out.”

Gatward has revealed her staging will be set in 1975. “Falstaff finds himself washed up in the ‘Garter Inn’ in Windsor. He believes he still has it and tries to seduce the proper Windsor Wives to get to their husbands money.

“The wives are all hostess trollies, fondue sets and immaculate lawned mock Tudor houses. The swinging sixties never quite reached Windsor and free love is not on the coffee table.”

Organisers have revealed more than 4,000 advance tickets have been sold for the season; it is hoped 25,000 theatregoers will attend the three shows across the season.

Tickets for Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre are on sale now, visit www.grosvenorparkopenairtheatre.co.uk to find out more, call 0845 241 7868 or visit Chester Visitor Centre.