Small town theater carnival combines East and West

World
Europe

02:16

From drama to opera, dancing to talk shows, it's an all-you-can-watch carnival affair. The theater festival in Wuzhen brings eastern China's ancient water town to life in a totally new way.

On the street corners of the ancient Chinese town, artists performed as part of an outdoor carnival held at the local theater festival.

Some performers came from overseas, but there was no language barrier. People interpreted stories differently.

"It's the audience who creates the show," said Guillaume Harry Francoise, a clown show artist from France, "That's why we work so closely (with them) and we use the audience as the real performer."

Many artists preferred an immersive performance, a show that relies on the interaction between performers and people in the street. The engagement helped people express their emotions.

Two performers acting in a carnival during the Wuzhen Theater Festival in Wuzhen, Jiaxing city, Zhejiang Province. /CGTN Photo

People who came to watch the plays had diverse tastes. Just a few blocks away from the clown show, a Peking Opera performance pulled a big crowd.

"Wuzhen has provided an open and accepting environment for this," said Zhao Meng, one of the Peking opera performers. "The audience size reflects how interested they are in the performances. I am glad that all types of shows get equal exposure and attention here."

Despite the cultural diversity and people's warm response to the street skits, artists hoped the performances could gain fame elsewhere in China. Some called for the implementation of a relevant law.

"I hope our government can detail the policy to provide more space for street shows. There are more and more young people interested in this kind of art," said Wang Shuyi, another clown show artist.

As audience demand emerges, they are helping to generate an increasing recognition of such small-scale shows.