"China is very interested in building its own software industry and open source can be viewed by their operators and adapted without having to do the whole design from scratch, " he points out.

BBC: Linux takes on MS in China

"So somehow they didn't do it, " said Lipman, who has given her blessing for the script to be adapted for the stage and recently sat in on rehearsals.

BBC: Jack Rosenthal's 'lost' George Best script staged