According to Yu, Tai Chi fulfills his dream of presenting different types of comedies to Chinese audiences, who are used to comedies centering around dialogue.

He adds that the process of auditioning was harder and longer than his other comedies since he was looking for actors with martial arts skills.

The six actors in the comedy include actresses Li Muzi, who practices taekwondo, and Yang Qingzhu, who practices fencing.

For Zuo Xiang, 27, who was an acrobat with the China National Acrobatic Troupe, it is his first play. And when he applied for the role, he didn't expect to be picked.

"I had no experience, but it's my dream to become a comic," says Zuo, who won the top Golden Clown prize at the International Circus Festival of Monte-Carlo in 2013.