Crosstalk entertainers Guo Degang (left) and Yu Qian perform during a show to mark the 90th birth anniversary of the late Hou Baolin on May 3, 2008. [Photo: China News Service]

Veteran crosstalk entertainer Guo Degang and his proteges put on a spectacular show on Saturday to mark the 90th birth anniversary of the late Hou Baolin, regarded as the master of crosstalk - a traditional Chinese verbal art involving comical dialogues peppered with sarcasm and irony.

Hou Baolin -- also known as the "Chinese Charlie Chaplin" -- was famed for taking crosstalk to the masses since the 1930s.

During Saturday's show, Guo Degang performed eight classic works of the legendary performer together with three of Hou's grandchildren in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Guo Degang, 35, established an organization named Deyun She in 1995, which aims to take "crosstalk back into theaters." The group, based in Beijing's Tianqiao Theater, stages crosstalk shows every week from Tuesday to Sunday.

(CRI May 4, 2008)