Cheering on with jokes

Hip-hop Crosstalk Club, a company in Beijing dedicated to crosstalk, or xiangsheng, marked its 14th anniversary recently, when its founder and owner Gao Xiaopan gathered current and former staff members for a show.

On Aug 21, the show was staged at a small theater in Fangzhuang, Fengtai district, one of two remaining venues of the company in the city. Old and new xiangsheng works were performed, bringing waves of laughs. At the same time, Gao was emotional.

"I had mixed feelings. I was touched but also sad. We didn't give many shows this year because of the pandemic. All of us cherished the chance to perform again, especially former members of the company," says Gao, who also performed.

"They rose to fame by presenting shows at this small theater, and now they work with bigger performing arts companies, which bring them a stable income. When I suggested the idea of performing together to celebrate our company's birthday, they said 'yes' without hesitation."

Three years into the COVID-19 pandemic, countless aspects of what was once everyday life have become foreign to many people. On top of the list might be live theater. Although people working in theaters have been trying hard to connect with their audiences through social media and livestreaming, the feeling of being in a room with crowds of strangers and performing live shows in the collective space is missing.

"Many theaters didn't survive the pandemic but we did, which is lucky but not easy. For some people, theater is more than entertainment business. It is a lifelong dream to pursue. The pandemic forced them to leave, which is sad," says Gao, adding that some of his friends, who are also xiangsheng performers, had to make a living by taking up side jobs, such as food delivery and driving for ride-hailing services, due to the pandemic.

Born in Baoding, Hebei province, Gao enjoyed watching comedy movies as a child, and one of his favorite movie stars is Hong Kong-born actor-director Stephen Chow. His mother took him to a local arts training center for children, where Gao studied xiangsheng, which was the only option related to comedy there. Gao has been doing crosstalk since then. His mother did not expect him to choose it as a career, though.

In 2003, he joined the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts in Beijing to study xiangsheng. However, since the old art form did not appear promising at that time, many of Gao's classmates had to abandon xiangsheng and find regular jobs to make a living.

Gao, however, insisted on pursuing his career as a crosstalk performer. To make a living, he did part-time jobs, as a salesman, wedding host and house painter.

The first recorded xiangsheng performer in China was Zhang Sanlu from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Starting as a street art in northern China, xiangsheng became a way for performers to make people laugh by telling jokes about family issues, troubled relationships and social topics. Shows of xiangsheng usually feature two performers clad in traditional long robes, standing behind a wooden table and engaging in witty banter, although there are also solo performers and those involving three or more performers.

In 2008, Gao founded Hip-hop Crosstalk Club, along with a dozen young, like-minded performers, including You Xianchao, Gao's longtime partner. Gao and his company soon achieved fame and won a large fan base with original works, which gave the old art form a contemporary twist. They told humorous stories inspired by young people's daily lives and their improvisation appealed to young audiences.

Soon, Hip-hop Crosstalk Club achieved commercial success. Gao also expanded his fan base through appearances in national galas, television shows, movies and reality show productions.

In 2015, he secured a bank loan to launch his first theater in Jiaodaokou, in Beijing, which started to make a profit a year later. In 2017, Gao opened his second venue, a 300-seat theater in Wukesong in western Beijing.

"Since I founded Hip-hop Crosstalk Club, I have never stopped performing at small theaters. I enjoy the intimate and relaxing atmosphere, and it feels great to make people laugh," says Gao.

In April 2020, due to the pandemic, the small theater in Jiaodaokou, tucked away in a hutong, or alleyway, closed. When Gao bid farewell to the venue, he shared a photo of himself onstage on his Sina Weibo account, which has more than 2 million followers.

"I was depressed when all the shows were canceled due to the outbreak. However, I didn't expect the situation to worsen," he wrote on social media.

"Like many small theater owners, I'm pretty devastated by what's happening. We are all facing extremely difficult circumstances due to COVID-19. We literally don't have any revenue coming through our doors," Gao says.

Due to the pandemic, many of those working in the performing arts industry have turned to staging shows online. Hip-hop Crosstalk Club is no exception. Though their debut online show was watched by more than 1.2 million people, way beyond Gao's expectations, he still hopes to perform in front of a live audience.

"Audiences play an important part in xiangsheng shows. When I tell a joke, their first reaction inspires me to tell more," says Gao. "The communication between xiangsheng performers and audiences can never be achieved in online shows."

On Oct 1, 2021, a new venue of Hip-hop Crosstalk Club opened in Shenyang, Liaoning province. It is the first venue of the company that is located outside Beijing. During the past year, over 300 shows were staged there, which received a warm feedback from local audiences.

Gao says he regularly drives from Beijing to Shenyang, an option that is much cheaper than taking flights or trains. He says he hopes to gain a fan base in Shenyang, which will boost his confidence.