A stage scenes of The Empress Dowager Cixi. Photos provided to China Daily

Wu, who made her name playing the fairy princess in Marriage of the Fairy Princess, says that it's her first time performing in a comedy, which is fun but not easy.

According to Wu, Huangmei Opera can be traced back some 1,400 years to the early Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) in Huangmei county, Hubei province and this comic drama is modern.

"I will sing Huangmei Opera as well as rock and pop songs in the show. It's so interesting," the 51-year-old actress says. The Visit has been touring around China since early this year, and has received warm feedback.

She also points out that thanks to Chen's suggestion, she figured out a way to keep Huangmei Opera alive.

"Traditional plays, like many old art forms in China, are losing audiences. We have to keep it contemporary and creative to attract young audiences. Maybe comedy is a way," she says.

Veteran actress Liu Bei will make her debut in a comic drama by starring in Chen's classic comedy The Balcony.

Liu says that Chen spent a long time persuading her to take the role of a vulgar woman from the village who fights with her husband's mistress.

"I decided to give it a try because he told me that I have the potential to be hilarious, which I haven't discovered. I like challenging roles, so I couldn't resist the temptation," the 46-year-old says. Chen will also star in The Balcony during the Beijing Comedy Festival.

Since starting the Beijing Comedy Festival three years ago, Chen says that he is glad to see that audiences are increasing. He admits that in the first year, he had a cooperative company who left before the festival started.

"I guess they couldn't continue the cooperation because it was a money-burning business," Chen jokes.

His first comic drama Tuo'er in 2001 was a box-office success, which gave him lots of confidence. Later he started his comedy school, training young actors, some of whom will perform the new version of Tuo'er during the 2013 Beijing Comedy Festival.

"I used to believe that comedy is an art, which is high, but with years of practicing humor, I realized that comedy is an art that serves the audience. The rule is to make people laugh and feel relaxed," he says.

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