For many the world over David Bowie is a hero – an unconquerable creative genius whose touch will long be felt upon the worlds of music, film, fashion and art.

He was truly a hero for Tauranga playwright Sam Martin whose latest show Star*Man is hugely influenced by Bowie – the man and the musician – and opens at 16th Avenue Theatre's tonight.

Tauranga playwright Sam Martin's new show ‘Star*Man' opens at 16th Avenue Theatre tonight. Photo: Supplied.

Presented by 16th Ave's youth division, Star*Man tells the tale of Luke Starman – a young man who loves all things 70's but is bullied at school because of it. But Luke's life takes an unexpected turn for the strange after he's struck by a car and wakes up in 1979.

'As a child growing up in England I was badly bullied,” remembers Sam. 'I stood out from the crowd, I didn't fit into a certain mould, I never really fitted in anywhere.

'It was artists like David Bowie who made me feel okay to be different, to stand out, to see it as a positive and celebrate it. He made me feel proud to be me.

'When society tells you that you're not okay being the way you are, you really cling to those islands of wonderful differentness in that sea of conformity.”

When news broke of Bowie's death on Monday night, Sam and the cast of young actors, aged 13 to 23, were in the midst of their final dress rehearsal.

A large chunk of the cast had never heard his music before Star*Man and the 45-year-old playwright says it's been a wonderful experience sharing Bowie's legacy with a younger generation.

'I announced Bowie had died and they took it really badly, it was so personal and he really meant something to them.

'When I got home I immediately put on ‘Life on Mars?' which isone of my absolute favourites. For me, the song is all about being different and basically just ‘let it be' and get on with life.”

The first Bowie album Sam ever bought was Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) which was released back in 1980 and featured the singles ‘Fashion' and ‘Ashes to Ashes'.

While a lover of the music he produced during the 80's, Sam says 70's Bowie is just simply and utterly fantastic.

'I remember growing up in England buying a stack of Bowie singles when I was a kid and playing them on this silly little record player which looked like a suitcase when you closed it up.

'They called him the ‘great chameleon' because he frequently changed his style and persona over the years, but he's more than that – Bowie never once blended into the background.”

Sam adds that all ticket from the matinee show of Star*Man on Saturday, January 23, will be donated to Youthline, a national charity that helps teens deal with bullying in our community.

16th Avenue Theatre presents Star*Man from Wednesday, January 13, to Saturday, January 23. For ticket details and purchases visit: www.iticket.co.nz