THE latest production to come out of the Empire Theatre this year will combine fantasy and science fiction in a story which sees Harry Potter continuing his schooling at Hogwarts... but instead of being in the UK, he will be on Mars.

This crazy concept, along with plenty of other obscure and entertaining ideas, was thought up by one of the four groups of 10 to 15-year-olds participating in the Empire Theatre 18 Hour Play Project.

For three days, 38 young thespians were given the task of brainstorming ideas before writing their scripts and directing their plays.

The workshops culminated in each group performing their production for family and friends.

The workshop was overseen by actress Emily Curtin and Toowoomba playwright David Burton who said the children had fully embraced the activities.

"The workshops were a great way for these kids to get active and have some fun over the school holidays," Mr Burton said.

"For us it can get pretty chaotic and exhausting looking after so many energetic kids, but most of it is just a load of fun.

"It's amazing how many natural comedians we have in Toowoomba."