"Interrupted Dream is quite different and doesn't have elements of comedy," Chen says, adding that the audience still like him in it.

The play was sold out when staged at the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing from Aug 18 to 21.

Other highlights of the upcoming festival include Red Sorghum, by Jiangsu Center for the Performing Arts, adapted from the Chinese novel of the same name by Nobel Prize-winning author Mo Yan, and the Chinese version of the Russian musical, Anna Karenina, based on the novel of the same name by Russian master writer Leo Tolstoy.

Zhang Haijun, initiator of Lao She Theater Festival, says it is named after Chinese writer Lao She (1899-1966), whose works have inspired generations and have been adapted into plays, movies and TV dramas.

Lao She gave vivid descriptions of the lives of common people in his works, reflecting the social reality of his time. Born as Shu Qingchun in a Manchu family in Beijing, he specialized in depicting the local culture with humor and use of the city accent.

"The stage has a unique atmosphere, allowing plays to really bring the core of a book to the center. For book lovers, it's a totally different experience when watching a play and for theater lovers, it's a good chance to learn about the original work," say Zhang.

This year, traditional art forms such as Kunqu Opera, Yueju Opera and Peking Opera will also be featured at the festival for the first time.

Since it was founded in 1959, Beijing Quju Opera Troupe has been staging shows adapted from Lao She's works such as Rickshaw Boy and Four Generations Under One Roof. So far, it has produced about 20 works based on his works.