Beauties with funny bones

The Beijing International Comedy Festival kicks off with a hilarious yet serious Peking Opera piece.

The four beauties-Xishi, Wang Zhaojun, Diaochan and Yang Yuhuan-who lived during different dynasties in ancient China, have been the poster girls for the country's female aesthetics for centuries.

When they are paired with five chou (male clown) roles in Peking Opera, the story becomes hilarious and thought-provoking as is visible in the latest piece, titled Wu Chou Si Mei, which literally translates as "five clown roles and four beauties".

Performed by actresses and actors of Beijing Fenglei Peking Opera Company, a private Peking Opera company located in the capital's downtown, the latest production premiered on Thursday with five performances staged at the Tianqiao Performing Arts Center through Monday.

It kicked off the Beijing International Comedy Festival, which runs through Sept 24.

"This production is the first from the company after the coronavirus outbreak. We want to showcase the beauty of Peking Opera through classic roles and their different styles. It's a comedy, which will make people laugh and think," says Song Yan, director of the piece, who is also a veteran Peking Opera actor and director of the company.