Saturday night laughs

From musicals, sketches and cross-talk, to mime and drama, there's a TV show that's bringing all kinds of comedy together, giving audiences even greater reason to smile.

Aired on Saturday nights on China Central Television, the variety show, Xijude Xiju (gathering of comedy), is delivering a diverse collection of comedic performances, inspired by everyday moments and ordinary people.

Premiering on Nov 19, the show gathers 16 groups of comedians who deliver their meticulously prepared performances and are ranked by the 150 members of the live audience.

After the second episode was released, the hashtag of "What kind of people are most likely to be cheated" was trending on social networking platform Weibo, attracting over 52 million clicks, following the cross-talk performance by Zheng Jian and Li Ding on the topic of scams.

During the skit, the two performers acted out how common scams work, including bogus transactions through the internet and the fraudulent impersonation of officials.

Celebrity guests, including actress Cai Ming, actor Feng Lei, martial arts star Zhao Wenzhuo and Hong Kong pop star Alam Tam, among others, have been invited onto the show to comment on the performance of the comedians.

Feng was impressed by mime artist Zhang Shuangjian's love-themed performance, in which Zhang used delicate physical expressions and funny actions to enable the audience to feel the sweetness, romance and sadness, as well as a sense of helplessness, in the love story.

"He performs one person's whole life, which is heartwarming and touching. From a technical aspect, the difficulty of his performance is also very high, yet he manages to deliver," Feng commented following the conclusion of Zhang's act, adding: "I want to try that kind of performance, but it's too difficult for me."

According to Feng, acting in films and on television allows the actor to deliver a performance with the help of editing and post-production work, such as sound and visual effects. However, for stage presentations, the performers have to act from the beginning to the end, in one go, without any opportunity to correct a mistake or start over.

Feng believes that a good comedian, such as Zhang, should have an open mind, be a creative thinker and also be good at observing life and extracting interesting materials from what they see.

"Comedy is a state of mind, and there is no age boundary," Feng says, adding that as long as someone has passion for comedy and can bring humor to others, they can be a comedian.

"Besides encouraging laughter, good comedy can make people think, and such performances won't be forgotten quickly," he adds.

He says he has learned a lot from the young comedians and also the other guests of the show, as they have helped to open up to the idea of comedy creation and imagination. "Acting is a career through which you live and learn. Watching these excellent content creators is quite helpful for my own artistic growth," he says.

"I really like the show, because on one hand, I get to participate in it and on the other, I can feel the joy of an audience member," Feng says.

The scenes that take place in the "green room" are also a highlight of the show. It shows the comedians chatting casually with one another while waiting to go on the stage, and their discussion about each other's performances.

Comedian and actor Chang Yuan is the presenter of the show, and also acts as a confidant and adviser to the performers and he spends a lot of time with them backstage.

"Unlike when I was a contestant in sketch competitions, I get to concentrate on observing and learning from the comedians," Chang says.

He offers his guidance to the comedians when discussing their performances, and at the same time, he gets inspiration for his own comedy from them. "We are excited to gather together to discuss creation," he says.

Speaking of the current situation for comedians in China, Chang thinks they are happy that there are always stages and opportunities for them to express their ideas.

"Comedy is an art form that the audiences will always need, no matter in which era, as it can help us forget about life's pressures and worries," Chang says.

He thinks comedians need to have a craftsman's spirit to create good work. "As the audience's aesthetics has improved, we, the artists, should also constantly improve our own aesthetics to keep pace with the times," he says.

Chang thinks the show is bringing more fresh blood to the domestic comedy field and he looks forward to collaborating with some of the comedians he has met in the show.

Zhao Yue, general director of the show, has been directing language shows since 2014, as well as handling language programs for the Spring Festival gala since 2016.Describing them as "a lovely bunch of people", she has noticed that the comedians are good at observing life and have passion, with their humorous and hardworking nature.

"It is fun to gather the comedians and share with the audience the funny scenes that arise as a result," Zhao Yue says, explaining the primary goal of the show and the origin of its name, "gathering of comedy".

She thinks the number of comedians that the audience know is quite limited, and she wants to create a platform for comedians to present themselves. "Some of the performers are quite good, but they don't have the chance to stand in the spotlight. I hope the show can work as a way to enable audiences to discover their comedy," Zhao Yue says.

From sketch actors who have been working in supporting roles for over a decade, to performers who have acted in niche fields, such as mime, kung fu and musicals, Zhao Yue invites diverse comedians to the show, all of whom she thinks deserve greater attention.

"We need to find more comedians with potential and bring them to a larger stage," she says.

According to Zhao Yue, inviting Cai as a guest on the show came about because she can provide professional suggestions to the comedians in terms of technique, and she is also willing to help young comedians.

"Feng Lei is a successful character actor, and he has his own insight on performing, which is also useful for the comedians," Zhao Yue says.

As people can access more content through multiple media platforms, the need for more jokes gets higher and the tempo of comedy is also accelerating, she says.

With the comedians trying various forms of comedy on the show, Zhao Yue says she hopes it will resonate with the audience, insofar as they feel the comedians are performing stories about the people around them in an artistic way.

"We hope the show can be immersive and a party for both the performers and the audience," she says.