Current location:politics >>
Popular Chinese crosstalk comedians bring laughter, cultural charisma to London
politics897People have gathered around
IntroductionGuo Degang is a popular Chinese traditional crosstalk comedian who has over 15 million followers on ...
Guo Degang is a popular Chinese traditional crosstalk comedian who has over 15 million followers on China's video-sharing platform Douyin.[Photo/Xinhua]
Thunderous laughter and applause almost blew off the roof of an auditorium in London's ExCeL Exhibition Centre on Saturday night, when a punchline by Guo Degang, a popular Chinese traditional crosstalk comedian, landed with an audience of thousands.
Along with Guo and his partner Yu Qian, a handful of comedians from the De Yun She Performance Group performed Xiangsheng, or crosstalk comedy, with both jokes about life anecdotes and traditional crosstalk episodes.
"Laughter is contagious and that is what makes the art form of crosstalk comedy powerful," said Guo, a leading character in both the performance group and the industry.
Guo and his group started their first overseas tour in Australia in 2011. Since then, they have performed in places including the United States, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, Japan and Singapore. This was the group's second time performing in London.
"The outcome of our years of international tours has made me realize the enduring vitality of traditional art," he said, adding that such performances can help overseas Chinese overcome homesickness through "voices in their mother tongue" and introduce traditional Chinese culture to a broader audience.
"Ever since I started learning Chinese, I've been interested in Xiangsheng," Christian Elliott, an audience member who has been learning Chinese for more than five years, told Xinhua. He wanted to see how much of the show he could understand given that there is a difference "between knowing conversational Chinese and knowing 'full' Chinese."
Elliott added that such an experience can help him learn more about the Chinese culture, history and the way people from a different background think.
Saturday's show was also the first public appearance in London for a few younger-generation performers, among whom was Meng Hetang, who joined the group in 2008.
Meng said that young inheritors of time-honored art forms, like himself, need to not only adhere to and promote tradition, but also innovate to keep pace with modern times. He performed his recently-created episode during the show.
In recent years, crosstalk comedy is becoming increasingly popular in China, especially with young people. Guo alone currently has over 15 million followers on China's video-sharing platform Douyin, while other fellow performers have several million followers each.
With London being the first stop of its Europe tour this year, the group was expected to perform in cities including Glasgow, Paris, Milan and Madrid in the upcoming month.
Tags:
Reprint:Friends are welcome to share on the Internet, but please indicate the source of the article when reprinting it.“Global Gateway news portal”。http://saintkittsandnevis.downmusic.org/article-51c998981.html
Related articles
Not so Cool Britannia! Noel Gallagher gives damning verdict on Keir Starmer
politicsNoel Gallagher has insisted he would still back Tony Blair for PM - as he warned Keir Starmer not to ...
【politics】
Read moreRoyals catcher Salvador Perez sidelined by mild groin strain
politicsCHICAGO (AP) — Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez had an MRI on Monday that showed a mild gro ...
【politics】
Read moreSteve Sloan, former coach and national title
politicsORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Former college coach and administrator Steve Sloan, who played quarterback and ...
【politics】
Read more
Popular articles
- Verona confirms Serie A status for another year after beating Salernitana
- Hong Kong marks key education day on safeguarding national security
- Retrial underway for ex
- Chicago White Sox activate slugger Eloy Jiménez from the 10
- Minnesota Uber and Lyft driver pay package beats deadline to win approval in Legislature
- WNBA will pay for flights for playoffs and back
Latest articles
Mystery artist who erected signs comparing pothole
Lloyd Omdahl, a former North Dakota lieutenant governor and newspaper columnist, dies at 93
Budimir misses unforgettable last
Paris Hilton backs California bill to bring more transparency to youth treatment facilities
Jon Wysocki dead at 53: Staind drummer passes away
M&T Bank, Goldman Sachs rise; Salesforce, Tesla fall, Monday, 4/15/2024
LINKS
- Weather: Cloudy, wet week expected for most
- Stricken Japanese Moon mission landed on its nose
- Prime Minister's Auckland office vandalised for third time in six months
- 100 days since Hamas attacked Israel, triggering war in Gaza
- Paul McCartney's stolen Beatles bass guitar found after 51 years
- Queenstown housing: 'The situation hasn't gotten any better'
- Government rejects Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown's demands over rates, GST
- Government rejects Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown's demands over rates, GST
- US decries Nauru's 'unfortunate' ditching of Taiwan, warns on China's promises
- Ghana passes bill making identifying as LGBTQ+ illegal