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Concept
Xiangsheng
Summary
Xiangsheng (), also known as crosstalk or comic dialog, is a traditional performing art in Chinese comedy, and one of the most popular elements in Chinese culture. It is typically performed as a dialog between two performers, or rarely as a monolog by a solo performer (similar to most forms of stand-up comedy in Western culture), or even less frequently, as a group act by multiple performers. The Xiangsheng language, rich in puns and allusions, is delivered in a rapid, bantering style, typically in the Tianjin dialect (or in Mandarin Chinese with a strong northern accent). The acts would sometimes include singing, Chinese rapping, and musical instruments.
Xiangsheng has connections with the vaudeville Double act that developed in approximately the same era. Some Westerners have studied the art of Xiangsheng. One Canadian student of Xiangsheng, Mark Rowswell, who uses the stage name of Dashan, has said that the closest English equivalent is "Who's on First?", a sketch by Abbott and Costello. However, many acts in vaudeville and radio double acts, as well as the screen comedy dialog that evolved from them, are similar to Xiangsheng in their formula.
Modern Xiangsheng comprises four classic skills:
Speaking (simplified Chinese: 说; traditional Chinese: 說; pinyin: shuō): to tell a story, which is the pragmatic mechanism of humor (i.e. making jokes or using tongue-twisters).
Imitating (simplified Chinese: 学; traditional Chinese: 學; pinyin: xué): includes Kouji, accents, dialects, and other sounds, as well as imitating the "singing" and actions of specific characters in traditional Chinese operas such as Peking opera, Pingxi, and Bangzi.
Teasing (Chinese: 逗; pinyin: dòu): to make a joke—tease is the soul of Xiangsheng.
Singing (Chinese: 唱; pinyin: chàng): only Taiping lyrics can be considered as singing in Xiangsheng.
Xiangsheng is most commonly performed by two actors. The leading actor is called Dougen (simplified Chinese: 逗哏; traditional Chinese: 逗哏; pinyin: dòugén) and the supporting actor is called Penggen (simplified Chinese: 捧哏; traditional Chinese: 捧哏; pinyin: pěnggén).
Official source
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