Chunxiang’s Schoolroom Prank

Chunxiang’s Schoolroom Prank is a traditional Kunqu comedy from The Peony Pavilion by Tang Xianzu. Drawing on one of the oldest surviving performance versions, Jingkun Chinese Arts reintroduces this lively scene with its quick wit, playful reversals and finely drawn characters. As a comic interlude within the larger epic of The Peony Pavilion, the piece reveals a different facet of Kunqu—light-hearted, mischievous and full of theatrical vitality.

At the centre of the scene is Chunxiang, the clever and sharp-tongued maid whose spirited intelligence disrupts the quiet order of the schoolroom. Her banter with the scholar and her irreverent humour have made this episode a classic within the Kunqu repertoire for centuries. By returning to early materials and performance traces, this production revives not only the story but also the texture of an older stage tradition rarely seen today.

Presented with clarity and respect for its historical roots, Chunxiang’s Schoolroom Prank offers international audiences an accessible entry point into the comic world of Kunqu.

This traditional Kunqu is currently planned for a global tour in 2026.