German writer Michael Ende's "Momo" will be put on stage as a play from Friday to Sunday at the National Center for the Performing Arts (NCPA) in Beijing. 

The 110-minute drama, starring Chinese actors Ge You and Wan Qian, tells the story of a parentless girl Momo, who discovers the evil agenda of time-stealing gray men. 

It emphasizes the fact that we spend too little time on ourselves, and our increasingly busy daily lives have diminished our values and our very nature. 

Presented by the Vertebra Theater, an independent art institution based in Shanghai, the performance is part of the NCPA's International Theater Festival this year. 

The eponymous novel was well-received by the public after it was published in 1973 and won the German Youth Literature Award a year later.