Shakespeare festival organizers claim that after having to move the event indoors, they transformed the theater into an "immersive experience.".
After 30 years, the Stafford Shakespeare Festival moved from the town's castle to the Gatehouse Theatre due to cost concerns.
For the production, plants, trees, and flowers have been brought inside.
The event, according to spokesman Keith Harrison, "will be something Stafford has never seen before.".
He continued, "We wanted to give it an immersive experience; it can't just be another show at the Gatehouse.".
Beginning on Friday and continuing through July 9 is A Midsummer Night's Dream.
A member of the cast, West End performer Kerry Ellis, says the actors hope the audience will enjoy the entire experience. The theater's entrance has been adorned with vines, trees, and plants.
She remarked, "There are vines everywhere, and it really puts you in the mood and feels magical from the moment you walk in.
About 15,000 people have attended prior festivals, and according to staff, more than 2,500 tickets have already been sold for this year's event.
The decision to move the festival was made by the borough council in December because using the castle would incur "significant infrastructure costs," councillors were informed.
