Life's a barrel of laughs for droll duo

Beijing-based media company Mewe produces both the Super Sketch Show and Amazing Night. It has been holding workshops to nurture and discover talented comedians in recent years.

In preparation for Amazing Night, which aired between July and September, they interviewed 3,600 actors and scriptwriters.

The workshop schedule is quite intense. Attendees initially learn the basics of sketches, then move on to developing and rehearsing their pieces, with the possibility of a public performance on the fifth day.

The audience's reaction determines whether the competitors proceed to the next phase, according to Li Nannan, chief producer of Amazing Night.

Typically, Mewe arranges around 10 public performances before recording the sketches for the show. They are usually attended by an audience of about 500, primarily aged between 18 and 35.

Gao Chao and Gao Yue are among the comedians who most frequently participate in these public performances.

The relatively introverted Gao Chao, who is marginally older than his twin, focuses on the script while the more outgoing Gao Yue contributes ideas and unexpected humor.

"We complement each other in our creative process," Gao Chao says.

After the competition, the pair plan to explore the possibility of coming up with their own hour-long comedy show, which they hope to perform in a theater in the near future.