A group of American theatre students will be doing their own production of Jack Heifner's Vanities at TARA Studio next week.

The students, who hail from Saint Mary's University in Winona, Minnesota, are in London as part of a Study Abroad program led by Gary Diomandes that has been running for the past 15 years.

Having come over last month they stay until the end of November taking in classes and West End Shows, on top of putting on the production.

"I think the experience totally changes them," says Diomandes.

"It gives them more of a wider view of the world and a different perspective of global issues and what's going on.

"For a lot of them it's the first time in a big city so it gives them that opportunity.

"They live in flats and do all their own cooking and for a lot of them public transport is quite a new thing as they are used to having their own car.

"We have all different majors that come but it's required for the theatre majors to do the semester over here and we always do a play.

"I think that is what makes this study abroad program different is that we actually do a performance over here, I don't know any other American university that does that."

In previous years, the university has mainly put its show on at Wimbledon Studio but has decided to use TARA this year for their premiere performance of bittersweet comedy Vanities.

The story revolves around three women as they mature during tumultuous times in American history, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the height of the Vietnam War and the women’s movement.

"It's the version Jack first did that was written in 1976," says Diomandes.

"Each act takes place in a different time period.

"The first is in 1963 with the three girls as cheerleaders in High School, the second in 1968 when they are in the last year of university and the third six years later at an apartment in New York City belonging to one of the girls and they haven't seen each other for four years.

"It shows how they have changed throughout their lives or not as is the case with one of them."

Vanities, TARA Studio, Garratt Lane, October 13 to 17, 7.30pm, £9. Call 020 8333 4457 or visit tara-arts.com