And they bring with them an open air production of one of the Bard's best comedies, Much Ado About Nothing.

Tree-lined Queen Square is a perfect location for summer Shakespeare, surrounded on all sides by some of Bristol's finest historic buildings.

There are, however, only seven performances of Much Ado About Nothing, which opens on the 15th June and closes on the 19th, and just a limited number of tickets are available.

"We are delighted to be performing in Bristol," says Miles Gregory, the 27-year-old artistic director of British Touring Shakespeare.

"And we are even more excited about performing such a wonderful comedy. Much Ado About Nothing is one of those plays which has withstood the test of time. It is as funny now as it was when it was finished in 1599."

The weather

But what about the weather? Everyone knows that relying on the English summer is not a safe bet.

"We will perform in anything except the 1987 storms," Gregory bravely announces, "and if rain stops play, all tickets are transferable. No show will ever be called off before it is due to start."

Weather permitting, the great thing about open-air Shakespeare is the informality of the event.

Audiences are encouraged to bring warm clothing and a picnic and to enjoy alfresco dining while enjoying the atmosphere.

A bar operates for evening performances, serving champagne and strawberries as well as other drinks and sandwiches, for an hour before each performance, as well as in the 30 minute interval.

The show itself, at under two hours long, is a comedy guaranteed to please even the most frosty-hearted theatre-goer.

Family fun

And families are also welcome with under-sevens gaining free admission, and family tickets available.

There is a weekday matinee on Thursday for schools, and another matinee on Saturday afternoon especially for younger audiences, both of which will be followed by a question and answer session with the cast and creative team.

In addition, there will be a free performance of The Taming Of The Shrew by BTS on Brandon Hill on the 6th June at 7pm.

Tickets are available from the ticketline on 0117 987 7877 or for groups 0117 907 4907. They can also be purchased from the box office at Bristol Old Vic.

Evening performance begin at 7pm and matinees at 2pm.

Tickets are £10 for adults, £5 for students and senior citizens and free for under sevens. Family tickets for two adults and two children cost £25.

Competition

But of course we couldn't resist giving our readers a chance to see the show for free and we have eight pairs of complimentary tickets for Much Ado up for grabs.

To stand a chance of winning you just need to answer the following question.

What is the name of the spiky heroine of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing?

The competition has now closed and tickets are in the post. The answer was Beatrice.