Artists from the Vietnam National Traditional Stage Theatre rehearse for the play.

"From Viet Bac to Hanoi” took the audience back to the period from 1941 to 1945, beginning with revolutionary leader Nguyen Ai Quoc’s return to the homeland on January 28, 1941 after 30 years of traveling the world in search of a path to national salvation.

His leadership led to the victorious August Revolution of 1945 and the historic moment on September 2, 1945, when he read the Declaration of Independence, giving birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam). The play was staged by a talented team of artists from the Vietnam National Traditional Stage Theatre.

Director Trieu Trung Kien (Photo: VOV)

“The challenge with this play was that we had to condense countless events between 1941 and 1945 into a two-hour performance. How could we narrate so many events in a way that would convey them vividly to the audience?” Director Trieu Trung Kien said.

Another challenge for the production team was portraying Nguyen Ai Quoc, who later became better known as President Ho Chi Minh, naturally and convincingly on stage. A special feature of the performance was that the leader and his comrades performed vong co, part of cai luong, in place of the usual dialogue or narration of a stage play. The melodies brought the historical figures closer to the audience and made the play unique.

Actor Van Thuan, who played President Ho Chi Minh, spent a lot of time preparing for his role. “The image of President Ho Chi Minh is already well known to the Vietnamese people, so the challenge was portraying him as authentically as possible. One difficulty is that I’m from the North, so I had to learn the central region accent of Uncle Ho. Another challenge was imitating his gestures and mannerisms.” 

Thuan portrayed President Ho Chi Minh as a humble leader deeply connected with his comrades and the people of the Viet Bac revolutionary base. Thuan’s talent and creativity brought the leader to life on the stage, approachable yet dignified.

“The role of Uncle Ho was portrayed with great passion, with many dramatic moments. His clear, heartfelt words expressing his wish for the people’s well-being and happiness were really touching. Several scenes made a very strong impression on me,” Nguyen Thi Hien, a member of the audience, said.   

One thing that stood out was the sophisticated stage design. Creative visual and sound effects were used to convey aspects of President Ho Chi Minh’s daily life, his frequent trips across the Vietnam-China border, the warm affection of the Chinese people, and his intimate conversations with comrades like Truong Chinh, Hoang Van Thu, Pham Van Dong, and Vo Nguyen Giap.

A recurring stage motif was the use of bamboo and rattan scaffolding to symbolizeVietnam’s national construction. The action moved fluidly from China to Tan Trao to Pac Bo, with smooth transitions between the scenes.

“The play covers many historical events, and our challenge was presenting them on stage. We used symbolic theatrical techniques and a simple, expressive design. An LED screen provided shifting backdrops to show changes of location, with minimal props suggesting the setting. For instance, just a few stones along with the background were enough to evoke Cao Bang province,” said director Kien.

The play combined cai luong, dance, and traditional music, to give the audience a rich visual and auditory experience. Scenes were staged with close attention to historical accuracy to give the audience the atmosphere of a pivotal moment in history.

Following its premiere in Hanoi, the play will be staged in Ho Chi Minh City and several other provinces and cities.