To mark great Chinese novelist Lao She's 111th birthday, stage play Five Acts of Life (Lao She's Short Stories) by renowned director Lin Zhaohua will hit Poly Theater from Thursday- Saturday.

Featuring selections from five of the most unique short stories by the master, including Assuming Office and Liu's Compound, the stories depict the tragic lives of ordinary people in old Beijing and form an emotional reflection on human existence and life itself.

With writer Shu Yi (Lao She's son) as literary consultant, renowned director Lin Zhaohua at the helm and acclaimed actors Lei Kesheng and Liu Peiqi starring in the play, Five Acts of Life is a fitting celebration of Lao She.

As a vivid record of Beijing folk culture and dialect, Five Acts of Life will be the first theatrical production to be recorded and kept at the Capital Museum using the latest digital technology.