Photo: courtsey of Beijing Tioanqiao Performing Arts Center

A classic novel reflecting social problems from the 1940s to 1980s will be brought to the theater stage in August. The adaptation will run for three consecutive days in Beijing, showing viewers typical family life at the time.

Based on a novel named Huodong Bian Renxing (Changing Human Forms) by well-known Chinese novelist Wang Meng, the show will present a string of social phenomena at the time, including marital relationships in Chinese families, cultural contradictions between China and the West, and the transition to a modern world.

The title of the show, which is the same as the novel, comes from a Japanese toy that is mentioned in the book. The toy consists of three books standing for head, body and legs, where children are able to change body forms when turning the pages.

The story tells of the personal life experience of the protagonist named Ni Zao growing up in turbulent Chinese society. Ni returns to China from studying abroad, but struggles in the clashes between his Western ideas and his traditional Chinese lifestyle.

The story is an autobiographical novel by Wang, and much of the story is based on Wang's real life.

"That way of life in the novel has been left behind by us for decades. But those characters will be reborn on stage," said Wang. "That's is something I believe to be meaningful."

The show will be performed at Beijing Tianqiao Performing Arts Center from August 20 to 22, and will continue its theater tour in cities including Guangzhou and Foshan in South China's Guangdong Province, and Nanjing in East China's Jiangsu Province.