After putting on big, family-friendly hits ‘Mary Poppins' and ‘Catch Me If You Can', Tauranga Musical Theatre is taking a darker turn this winter.

Their next show is ‘Heathers', a black comedy musical based on the 1988 film of the same name.

Set in an American high school, the show follows Veronica Sawyer, a seventeen-year-old student who gets to join the exclusive ‘Heathers' clique – a group of popular girls who all share the first name Heather.

Veronica soon becomes disillusioned with popularity, however, and after a chance encounter with the mysterious outcast J.D. she gets caught up in a whirlwind of murder.

Tauranga Musical Theatre president Elise Rohde says the theatre tries to put on a range of productions to ensure all age groups and demographics have the opportunity to be involved and enjoy to watching.

'Heathers has taken the world by storm as it is a cult classic dealing with some topical themes in the best way possible – black comedy.”

She describes the musical as ‘a clever and witty take on the high school experience and the drama that comes with that.

'Everyone is bound to find themselves in one of the characters.”

She believes Tauranga is ready for more ‘provocative' theatre.

'With the recent decision not to go ahead with the museum, you could say we are looking forward not back. The growing tertiary sector in Tauranga is attracting a growing 20-30 age group to our region, they are also looking for culture.”

Auditions for ‘Heathers' are on this weekend, May 12-13. For more information or to book an audition, visit: https://ginevrawohlstadt.wixsite.com/heathers