When it comes to the Chinese comedic performance style known as xiangsheng, De Yun She are in a league of their own. Formed over 20 years by actor, comedian, and impresario Guo Degang, the group have been instrumental in the wider revival and increasingly international popularity of xiangsheng. Thanks to recent tours that have brought De Yun She to four different continents, Degang has helped create a new worldwide audience for a traditional style long enjoyed by audiences in China.

A phrase that translates literally as “face and voice,” xiangsheng is a cultural form whose roots may extend back to the Ming Dynasty. Its most typical mode consists of two performers onstage exchanging a rapid-fire stream of puns, allusions, references, imitations, and — of course — joke-filled banter. Originally performed in dialect by street performers, these high-speed displays of wit and dexterity climbed up from their lowly origins to become a hugely popular and often satirical style of entertainment that’s widely enjoyed both in live venues and on Chinese television.