Relieving pressure

Mango, who used to play drums in a punk band at college, was among the successful applicants in the spring, but she did not originally plan to take the crosstalk course.

"I first tried to sign up for music or drawing classes, but they were all sold out," she said.

She works in management at a State-owned company. Although her job is not too demanding, she struggles to form interpersonal relationships, adding to her pressure outside work. As she enjoys a diverse range of activities in her spare time, she wants to try something fresh and meet new people.

The cross-talk course requires a great deal of communication, interaction and connection.

Chinese cross-talk, or xiangsheng, is a traditional comedic style that relies heavily on language and wordplay. It is usually performed in dialogue between two performers or as a monologue, with the aim of entertaining the audience.

A typical evening art course is attended by about 25 people. Running for three months, a single course includes 12 lessons, each lasting 90 minutes.

Mango said she enjoyed the course. "My classmates came from various walks of life. They included programmers — who often had to work overtime — from Chinese tech giant ByteDance, and many university students who are cross-talk enthusiasts.

"We prepared a five-minute performance in groups at the end of the course. What impressed me most was that when we finished the rehearsal for the final show, everyone in the class suddenly became comfortable with each other, and we greeted one another as if we were longtime friends."

Before the final show, Mango sent a promotional poster she crafted as an invitation to her friends, several of whom showed up to witness her cross-talk debut.

"I had the largest number of friends attend my graduation show that night, and we had a great time. In particular, I feel much calmer now. It's as though I have regained my former self," she said.