The group's first show, The Addams Family: A New Musical, will open at the Horsham Town Hall on Wednesday.

Showcasing characters from the beloved Addams Family TV series and movies, the new musical follows the creepy and kooky clan on a new adventure.

The story starts with Wednesday Addams falling in love with a young man from a respectable family - but the problem is her parents Gomez and Morticia have never met him.

After Wednesday confides in her father, Gomez must do something he's never done before - keep a secret from Morticia.

Carlos Lopez will play the role of Gomez Addams, while Stephanie Martin will play Morticia Addams.

Mr Lopez said the show had a sense of humour that would appeal to people of all ages.

"A large part of why we're doing this is for our community. We hope people can escape their troubles for two hours and have a good laugh," he said.

The last time Mrs Martin performed in a musical was 2004. She is looking forward to returning to the stage.

"When I found out that it was The Addams Family, I knew I wanted to do it. Morticia is a great character - she's steely and prickly, but has a subtle way of showing it," she said.

The musical co-stars Grace Risson, Leon Barents, Dave McMaster, Brandi Galpin, Carl Gasparini, David Brennan and Lara Bowman.

Smart Artz was co-founded by Larissa Riddell and Amy Anselmi, and launched last year. The pair also started Kicks Up The Arts training studio three years ago, working with students from years four to 12.

Ms Riddell said Smart Artz was thrilled to debut its first production.

"It's been smooth sailing so far. We've had the hardest working cast of 30 who will rise to any challenge," she said.

She said The Addams Family was partly chosen because it featured a recognisable group of characters.

"People of all ages know them, whether from the TV series, cartoons or more recent movies," she said.

"The mix of personality oddities in the characters make for hilarious and seemingly endless comedic situations. I guess that's why they've stood the rest of time."

Smart Artz has already started work on its next production, the play The Laramie Project, which will be staged in March 2020.

The acclaimed play is set in and around Laramie, Wyoming, in the aftermath of the murder of 21-year-old gay man Matthew Shepard.

"We're honored to bring this story to Wimmera audiences. The story is heartbreaking, but it's so important to bring this true story to light," Ms Riddell said.

"We're really looking forward to working on this play. We encourage people who have a passion for acting but don't want to sing and dance to get involved."

Auditions for The Laramie Project will be held later this year.

The Addams Family will be performed at the Horsham Town Hall from July 17 to July 21. Ms Riddell said people could buy tickets at the venue or on the town hall's website.

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