Accidental fans

Pan Peng, a 23-year-old gallery assistant in Beijing, said she and her friends enjoyed a Mahua Fun Age comedy in Beijing's Chaoyang Joy City shopping mall in January.

She said after hanging out and eating dinner, the group saw a poster for the show on the eighth floor of the mall and bought tickets not knowing what to expect.

"The atmosphere was great with performers and audiences interacting frequently," said Pan, who has watched plays by established theater companies such as Beijing People's Art Theatre. "It was quite different from the shows I've seen before."

She said her generation, born after 2000, has increasingly become the "main force of consumption" in the country.

"We want to live in the moment and to have some fun. Going to theaters, just like going to the cinema and to the gym, helps us relieve some pressure from our daily lives and work," she said.

Wen said the company's research showed the average age of the theater audiences is under 35 years. If a star performs in a show, the average audience age can fall below 18.

"These young people want a sense of community. They want to bridge the gap between everyday social media and meeting and shopping in person," she said.