Wuzhen Theater Festival: Small town carnival combines street shows east to west

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From drama to opera, dancing to talk shows, it's an all-you-can-watch carnival affair. The Wuzhen Theater Festival brings the eastern China's ancient water town to life in a whole new way. CGTN's Zhao Yunfei shows us how street artists make the audience part of the shows.

Performances are everywhere, not just on the stage. In the street corners of the ancient Chinese town of Wuzhen, artists are making scenes to contribute to an outdoor carnival held at the local theater festival. Some performers come from overseas, but don't worry, there's no language barrier. People interpret the stories differently.

GUILLAUME HARRY FRANCOISE CLOWN SHOW ARTIST "It's the audience who creates the show. That's why we work so closely and we use the audience as the real performer."

It's what professionals call an immersive performance, a show that relies on interaction between performers, and people-on-the-street. The engagement helps people express their emotions.

Children are sensitive to sounds and colors, that's why we bring our kid to the theater festival to feel the atmosphere.

People who come to watch the plays have diverse tastes. Just a few blocks away from the clown show, a Peking Opera performance pulls a big crowd.

ZHAO MENG PEKING OPERA ARTIST "Wuzhen has provided an open and accepting environment for this. 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."

ZHAO YUNFEI WUZHEN, ZHEJIANG PROVINCE "Walking down the flagging path, surrounded by water and old-fashioned houses, you'd never feel odd when encountering some street shows. Such an engaging atmosphere brings the east and west together in Wuzhen, via a healthy blend of cultures."

Despite Wuzhen's diversity and its warm response to the street skits, artists hope the performances gain fame elsewhere in China. Some call for the implementation of relevant law.

WANG SHUYI CLOWN SHOW ARTIST "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."

As the audience demand emerges, they are helping to generate an increasing recognition of such small scale shows. Zhao Yunfei, CGTN, Wuzhen, Zhejiang Province.