An eponymous play about the celebrated painter, singer, writer and actress Lu Xiaoman, made its debut in Beijing with a performance on Oct 12.

A beloved cultural figure also known for her passionate and very public relationship with poet Xu Zhimo, the play, produced by the Zhejiang Drama Troupe, tells the story of Lu's 20-year search for her partner's lost poems after his death in plane crash in 1931.

Born in Shanghai in 1903 and educated in Beijing and France, Lu was fluent in English and French by the age of 18. Following the founding of New China, she was employed at the Shanghai Institute and Culture and later, became a trade interpreter. She also worked as a painter at the Shanghai Academy of Chinese Painting in the 1950s and '60s. She died at the age of 62.

Directed by Li Bonan and Liu Hao, the play, which featured Liu Miao as Lu, made waves for its consumes, including a number of qipao dresses, which not only showcased the character's beauty but also transported the audience back to the Shanghai of the Minguo period (1912-49).