Whanganui Collegiate students are this week putting on a cabaret show of song and dance set in 1920s Berlin.
The story is set in the German capital and audiences will see the struggles of the characters of the city's artistic community during the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich.
Whanganui Collegiate head of arts and director of school production Jennifer Gregg said part of the play was set in a nightclub and other parts in a boarding house.
She said they were approaching it with sympathy and sensitivity and making sure it was appropriate for their audience.
It was good for the students to learn about the dangers of fascism and its oppression of fringe populations, especially as neo-Nazis and the alt-right had gained traction in recent years, Gregg said.