On March 18, Shanghai Deyun Club officially opened and had its premiere that night. Fans from all over the country rushed to the scene. The Paper reporter Peng Youqi and Chen Yue editor He Yuqian (01:41)
On March 18, Shanghai Deyunshe Theater opened on the second floor of the People's Theater on Sichuan North Road, Hongkou District. It had its premiere that night, with Guo Degang and Yu Qian making the finale.
"Starting today, Deyun Club has its own small theater in Shanghai. From now on, we will come and go often and perform cross talk here every day." At the press conference that afternoon, Guo Degang expressed emotion that after almost 20 years of performing in Shanghai, Deyun Club finally settled in Shanghai.
On that day, flower baskets were placed at the entrance of the People's Theater, and many cultural and creative and catering stalls were set up on the first floor, which was bustling with customers. There are "cross talk fans" who come from all over the world to meet and wait at the door at 9 o'clock in the morning; there are also local middle-aged and elderly people who come to check in and take photos. Although many people did not get tickets, they were excited to see their favorite actors and feel the atmosphere.
When northern crosstalk comes to Shanghai, will it be acclimated? Two or three years ago, after the news came out that Deyunshe would settle in Shanghai, this issue was frequently raised.
In this regard, Guo Degang seemed confident, "In the past 20 years, we have been doing almost all the large-scale crosstalk commercial performances in Shanghai, and we know this land very well. When it comes to crosstalk commercial performances, so many places in China are ranked, and Shanghai is among the top two. The audience is of high quality and loves to listen to crosstalk."
"Deyun Club has finally opened in Shanghai. I am very happy. This is the first one. There may be a second and third one in the future." In his view, Shanghai is a very tolerant city. All kinds of cultural performances can find their own audiences, and cross talk is no exception. In previous performances in stadiums with tens of thousands of people, the tickets were basically sold out, so there is no need to worry about small theaters with more than 300 people.
On March 18, Shanghai Deyunshe Theater opened at the People’s Theater on Sichuan North Road, Hongkou District. The pictures in this article are all by The Paper reporter Chen Yuetu
I like cross talk, everyone has a reason
"We were waiting at the door at 9 o'clock this morning. We had been pouring in the rain all afternoon and didn't wait. Then we came in to take shelter from the rain and happened to meet Qin Xiaoxian and He Jiuhua going downstairs to buy things. We were so lucky!" "We also saw the moment when the Deyun Society plaque was taken off." On the afternoon of the 18th, four girls in their 20s excitedly shared what they had seen that day.
They are from Shaanxi, Fujian, Hubei, and Beijing respectively. They got to know each other during offline performances. Although they like different actors, they got along well and made an appointment to come to Shanghai to watch the show together.
Mu Xuan is from Beijing and has been obsessed with cross talk since 2022, especially Qin Xiaoxian. "He says less now. Once the show comes out, I know it's hard to get tickets for this lineup. Beijing is far away, so I just want to give it a try and come if I can get it. If I can't get it, forget it." She said that she came to Shanghai just for this show. "Crosstalk is a traditional art. In fact, I only fell in love with crosstalk after getting to know Qin Xiaoxian. I hope this art will be passed down and seen by more people."
"At first, I really liked Meng Hetang because they were handsome. Later, I heard their cross talk was very interesting, so I fell in love with them." "They are both very hardworking people. I have watched them become better and I have liked them for five years." Yaoyao and Linlin are both fans of Meng Hetang and Zhou Jiuliang, and follow almost every performance they perform.
"I really like Guo Degang, Xiao Yueyue, and Guo Qilin. They say cross talk is very humorous." Aunt Mao, a retired worker, came from Baoshan in the rain. "The Mandarin they speak has a transliteration, which is very nice, unlike us Shanghainese who speak Mandarin in a rigid manner. Besides, Guo Degang speaks very smoothly, and it is comfortable to listen to him."
Ms. Chen, who works nearby, watched the opening ribbon cutting at noon, and came to the scene again in the evening to "pick up the missing tickets" to see if she had any tickets. "I mainly wanted to see Lao Qin (Qin Xiaoxian). I took a lot of videos at noon and even said hello to Lao Qin."
That day was also the 18th birthday of Li Xiang, a girl from Henan. She was interning in Shanghai and came to Deyun Club to check in. "I have liked Deyun Club for a long time. I haven't paid much attention to it in the past few years, but I want to fulfill my dream." She said, "I was attracted to it for no reason when I was in junior high school. I especially like Qin Xiaoxian, he is super interesting." She also mentioned, "Talk shows and cross talk are not much different, they both bring happiness to the audience."
Opening performance information
The blend of north and south, the most important thing is to be funny
Mr. Xie, 35, is also a crosstalk enthusiast and often listens to crosstalk at Xiaolehui (note: a crosstalk performance organization founded in Shanghai by Gao Hecai, a disciple of Guo Degang). Deyun Club's entry into Shanghai gave him more choices, and he was lucky enough to get tickets for the first performance.
He pays special attention to Zhang Jiunan, "There is a lot of improvisation, which is his style, and I think it is pretty good." Mr. Xie said that the opening performance lineup is strong, and the price is similar to that of large commercial performances. In the future, small garden fare will be restored, and 100 to 300 yuan is acceptable. Compared with large-scale commercial performances, he prefers the atmosphere of a small garden. "In a small garden with a few hundred people, the actors interact more with the audience, whereas in a commercial performance with thousands of people there is less interaction."
As a native of Shanghai, Mr. Xie said that he grew up listening to burlesque shows. As the times have evolved, he has also begun to accept northern culture, including cross talk, Errenzhuan, etc. In recent years, he has noticed that not only himself, but also more and more young people are listening to cross talk, including local children in Shanghai, children from relatives, and those learning allegro.
Qiao Qiao, who had a stall on the first floor of the People's Theater that day, brought many decorations made from fruit shells. In order to match the theme of Deyun Society, she also specially designed pendants including fans, clouds, microphones and other elements. "I'm a little excited, but also a little regretful. I wanted to go up and take pictures, but I didn't dare. They were just in front, less than one meter away." In the evening, she was still recalling the moments when Qin Xiaoxian, Meng Hetang, Shaobing, and Zhou Jiuliang walked past.
Qiaoqiao and her family all liked Deyunshe's performance and "thought the jokes were funny." She originally wanted to buy tickets for herself, her mother and her husband, but she didn't get one and planned to continue to follow. “It’s funny if you watch it online, but it’s still different from live experience and face-to-face interaction.” Qiao Qiao feels that although cross talk performances come from the north, there is not much cultural difference for young people. As long as the content is funny, it’s OK.
Xingxing is from Hubei and only came into contact with cross talk when he was studying in Beijing. He didn't get a ticket that day, so he came to the event "to generate electricity for love". She said, "Crosstalk needs to constantly inject fresh blood, and the new generation of young actors has brought a large number of new fans. Of course, for Mr. Guo and the older generation, I have seen many uncles and aunties coming here because of it. Everyone and every pair of partners have different styles. New actors will perform crosstalk in their own style, so that it can continue to be passed down."
According to Xingxing, crosstalk actors often have "current status" and will add regional "baggage" in different places. For example, when performing in Tianjin, they will add the "baggage" of local dialects, and when performing in Hangzhou, they will combine local historical stories, but the essence remains the same, and it is still the performance method of northern crosstalk.
"I feel from the bottom of my heart that cross talk and comedy are one family." Guo Degang said. When I came to Shanghai to perform before, I had a gathering with Shanghai folk art seniors to discuss this topic. Apart from the different dialects, the performance essence was very similar. I hope Deyun Society can interact with colleagues after arriving in Shanghai, and hope that all kinds of dramas will bloom.
There are many stalls set up on the first floor of the People's Theater and the crowds are busy.
Can you bring another wave of popularity to Sichuan North Road?
The People's Theater where Deyun Club is located is located at No. 1552 Sichuan North Road.
The old name of this building is the Guangdong Grand Theatre, which was built in 1928. In the 1950s, there was a sensational scene where famous Cantonese opera artists performed here, forming a Cantonese opera craze that lasted for many years. In 1968, it was officially renamed "People's Theater" and became the collective memory of generations of Shanghainese. In the 1990s, this place was not only a popular place for watching movies, but also a modern landmark for playing video games and casual gatherings.
In the early years, Sichuan North Road was still a famous commercial street in Shanghai. The slogan "Wander around other streets, go to Sichuan Road for business" was once a household name.
Deyun Club's "falling in Shanghai" has once again aroused people's attention to this old street. Can cross talk boost the popularity of the neighborhood?
Aunt Mao said that when she traveled to Beijing before, she made a special trip to the theater of Deyun Club to check in. Although there was no performance at the time, she was very happy to see the venue. For her, a ticket price of two to three hundred yuan is more suitable. As for whether to buy tickets in the future, "If Guo Degang and Xiao Yueyue are present later, they will definitely grab tickets. If they are not, it will be different."
Wenchuang garlic coffee cup at the stall.
Aunt Mao also said frankly that Sichuan North Road used to be a lively place, but now she only goes near Lu Xun Park and Hailun Road, and does not go to the People's Theater. Now that Deyun Club is open, the flow of people may increase.
Qiao Qiao lives in Qingpu and has heard of the reputation of Sichuan North Road, but is not familiar with it. This time when she went to the stall and saw the atmosphere, she felt that Deyunshe could bring a wave of popularity to Sichuan North Road.
The rise of "new landmarks" is inseparable from cultural and creative peripherals. At the booth of the People's Cinema Theater, the reporter saw garlic coffee cups in white and green colors. "Northerners eat garlic, and southerners drink coffee, so there are garlic coffee cups. They are only on display at the moment and will be sold later." A staff member of the cultural and creative booth said, "There is also garlic coffee in the coffee shop upstairs. You cannot go to the second floor during the opening period. After these five days, the second floor will be open to the public except during performance periods. You can buy it then."
From March 18th to 22nd, Shanghai Deyun Club held a total of 9 opening performances, with ticket prices divided into 8 levels from 100 yuan to 1,288 yuan. The venue can accommodate 317 spectators, and the tickets were sold out within minutes of the platform opening. According to the program list, many popular crosstalk actors will appear. From the 18th to the 20th, Guo Degang and Yu Qian will be in charge, and from the 21st to the 22nd, Yue Yunpeng and Sun Yue will take over.
Regarding content creation, Guo Degang said that he did not create "new memes" specifically for a certain city, but the content of the performance is universal and can be viewed regardless of east, west, north, or south. Deyunshe has 10 performance teams that tour in turns across the country, changing every city every two weeks. It is reported that the subsequent ticket price of Shanghai Deyun Club will be adjusted to about 100-380 yuan, and there will be performances every day except Monday.
(The names of the interviewees in this article are pseudonyms)
The Paper reporter Chen Yue and Peng Youqi
