Petrolini, mythical Italian actor, and how I tried in China to imitate his gag.

Petrolini could definitely be defined as Italian national treasure.

Petrolini, Ettore
born Jan. 13, 1886, Rome, Italy
died June 29, 1936, Rome

Italian theatrical actor and author, creator of numerous
caricature sketches,  and inventor of a revolutionary and
anticonformist way of performing.

Petrolini was the son of a blacksmith, and he did not receive
training in the  theatre. As an adolescent he discovered his
innate gift for acting and made his  professional debut at
age 15. In cafés, dance halls, and barns throughout  Italy,
he worked primarily as a macchiettista (caricaturist),
lampooning stock  Italian types and domestic situations in
one-man vignettes. Petrolini's  engaging personality and his
talent for vocal mimicry endeared provincial  audiences, used
to broad jokes and double entendres, to his brand of
lighthearted nonsense. By age 20 he was well known throughout
Italy.

He attained some international fame during the 1900s and
1910s as a result of  successful tours of South America and
well-received performances in New York  City and Paris. In
1912 he created his own theatrical company, which he
christened the Ettore Petrolini Company in the 1920s. He used
this vehicle to  debut his sketches until the late '20s, when
he devoted more attention to  full-length prose plays. His
company staged several major works of contemporary  theatre,
and in 1930 Petrolini's own comedy Benedetto fra le donne
(“Blessed  Among Women”) was produced at the Drama Lover's
Theatre in Milan.

Having become famous throughout Europe, Petrolini completed
several  international tours in the 1930s. He also acted in
many silent and sound films.  Of these, it is Nerone (1930;
“Nero”), an anthology of his best-developed
characterizations, that best captures Petrolini's range and
engaging  personality. In addition, he wrote several books,
including an autobiography,  Abbasso Petrolini (1922; “Down
with Petrolini”), and a collection of  miscellaneous
writings, Al mio pubblico (1937; “To My Public”), published
posthumously.

"Petrolini, Ettore ." Encyclopædia Britannica.
Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, 2007.

Here is a memorable gag. Even if the dialogue is in Italian, you can still enjoy the humour of the feedback between the emperor thanking one listener in the audience saying "Bravo!" At the end, the roles are exchanged.

I tried to imitate that gag in China. Prachar was the voice from the audience. Prachar, do you remember it? Ah, the good old times!