Traditional Chinese operas take comedy route to woo audiences

During the festival, the China Pingju Opera Theater, which was founded in 1955, will stage one of its most famous plays, Yang Sanjie Goes to Court, on July 25. Set against the backdrop of the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), it revolves around three sisters of the Yang family.

In the play, the second sister, Yang Erjie, is murdered by her husband and the youngest sister, Yang Sanjie, tries to avenge this by taking the husband to the court.

Actress Wang Lijing, who plays Yang Sanjie, says: "It's a heavy story but is handled by scriptwriter Cheng Zhaocai in a critical and humorous way."

The story of Yang Sanjie Goes to Court was adapted into a film in 1981, starring Zhao Lirong as the mother of the Yang sisters.

It was this film that drew Wang to the art form. She says: "I watched the film when I was 7 years old and fell in love with Pingju Opera."

Other highlights of the Beijing International Comedy Festival are Chinese musical Mr & Mrs Single, Chinese play Bird Man and Happy Dinner.