Chinese actress Zhang Xinyi, who is known for her roles in movies and TV dramas, will play the role of Li.

"Li Xuelian is my first experience of acting in a play, which excites me very much," says Zhang, 40, who graduated from the Central Academy of Drama in 2004, with a major in acting. She adds that she watched lots of plays during her university years.

"By the time I graduated, I had to make a living by acting in TV dramas and movies, because there were fewer opportunities to act in theaters," says Zhang. "It's like a longtime wish for me to act in a play in the theater, which has now been fulfilled.

"The struggle of the woman is beyond my imagination, since I have never experienced the betrayal of a husband and the mocking of people around me. The play's unique sense of humor makes the character's sadness even greater," she says.

It's not the first time that Drum Tower West Theater has adapted one of Liu's novels into a play. According to Li Yangduo, the theater's founder and owner, it also adapted Liu's novel, Someone to Talk To, into a play, which premiered in 2018.

"His words are simple but they will linger in your memory long after you have finished watching," says Li Yangduo.

Contact the writer at chennan@chinadaily.com.cn