Saturday night laughs

Chang thinks the show is bringing more fresh blood to the domestic comedy field and he looks forward to collaborating with some of the comedians he has met in the show.

Zhao Yue, general director of the show, has been directing language shows since 2014, as well as handling language programs for the Spring Festival gala since 2016.Describing them as "a lovely bunch of people", she has noticed that the comedians are good at observing life and have passion, with their humorous and hardworking nature.

"It is fun to gather the comedians and share with the audience the funny scenes that arise as a result," Zhao Yue says, explaining the primary goal of the show and the origin of its name, "gathering of comedy".

She thinks the number of comedians that the audience know is quite limited, and she wants to create a platform for comedians to present themselves. "Some of the performers are quite good, but they don't have the chance to stand in the spotlight. I hope the show can work as a way to enable audiences to discover their comedy," Zhao Yue says.

From sketch actors who have been working in supporting roles for over a decade, to performers who have acted in niche fields, such as mime, kung fu and musicals, Zhao Yue invites diverse comedians to the show, all of whom she thinks deserve greater attention.

"We need to find more comedians with potential and bring them to a larger stage," she says.

According to Zhao Yue, inviting Cai as a guest on the show came about because she can provide professional suggestions to the comedians in terms of technique, and she is also willing to help young comedians.

"Feng Lei is a successful character actor, and he has his own insight on performing, which is also useful for the comedians," Zhao Yue says.

As people can access more content through multiple media platforms, the need for more jokes gets higher and the tempo of comedy is also accelerating, she says.

With the comedians trying various forms of comedy on the show, Zhao Yue says she hopes it will resonate with the audience, insofar as they feel the comedians are performing stories about the people around them in an artistic way.

"We hope the show can be immersive and a party for both the performers and the audience," she says.