No Chou Role No Play

Chou (clown) is the fourth role category in Peking Opera and serves as a foil to the leading character, but it predated other role categories. “No chou role, no play” has long been a popular saying.

The chou role represents far more characters than sheng, dan and jing. Such characters can be all kinds of people, from emperors, princes and high-ranking officials to peddlers, servants and soldiers, and to scholars, farmers and traders. They can be old and young, male or female. They can be deaf, blind or lame. And they can be kind-hearted, evil, loyal or treacherous. Their humor and jokes are very much liked by the audience.

The chou role category is divided into wen chou (gentle clowns) and wu chou (martial clowns).